The aim of this study was to investigate a possible dose-response effect of
delmopinol hydrochloride, on the development of plaque and on the healing of
gingivitis. 64 healthy male volunteers, aged 18-40 years with healthy gingivae and clean teeth, participated. During a 2-week period, the participants refrained from all
oral hygiene and rinsed 2x daily with a placebo
solution. On day 14 of the study, they received professional toothcleaning, and were randomly assigned to 4 groups. For the following 2 weeks, they rinsed 2x daily for 1 min with 10 ml of 0.05% (15 subjects), 0.1% (17) or 0.2% (16)
delmopinol, respectively. 16 subjects rinsed with 0.2%
chlorhexidine. No
oral hygiene procedures were performed during the test period. On days 0, 14 and 28, gingival
bleeding index and the presence of stainable plaque were determined. Periodic identical photographs were used for planimetric determination of buccal plaque extension. No significant difference for the reduction in gingival
bleeding index was found between 0.2%
delmopinol and
chlorhexidine rinsing. The mean plaque index showed its most significant reduction on lingual surfaces of both upper and lower jaws when rinsing with 0.2%
delmopinol. Mean plaque extension was reduced by 23% for 0.05%, 39% for 0.1% and 55% for 0.2%
delmopinol. A significant dose-response effect for 0.05%, 0.1% and 0.2%
delmopinol was found for gingival
bleeding index, plaque index and plaque extension. The results show that
delmopinol favors the healing of
gingivitis and reduces plaque formation.