The effect of delmopinol rinsing on dental plaque formation and gingivitis healing

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.