The effect of mouthrinsing with the purified endo-alpha-1, 3 glucanase (
mutanase) from a Pseudomonas sp. strain on the formation of
dental plaque was investigated. Twenty-two college students participated in the clinical trial. After the labial and lingual surfaces of the 12 front teeth had been subjected to a thorough prophylaxis, the participants were instructed to cease all active
oral hygiene practices and to rinse their mouths with either the
mutanase or placebo
mouthwashes for one minute, up to four times daily, in all, eight times for three days. No restriction regarding meals was given during the experimental period. After a 5-day recess, a second experiment was performed using the same procedures, except the placebo and active
mouthwashes were switched. The amount of
dental plaque formed on the front teeth was scored according to the criteria of Quigley and Hein. Mean plaque scores were significantly lower for the
mutanase (p less than 0.05-0.001) than for the placebo group. In the intraparticipant comparison, most plaque scores were also significantly reduced in general (p less than 0.05-0.0010) by rinsing with the
mutanase mouthwash. These data indicate that
mutanase is able to suppress the accumulation of
dental plaque in humans.