Clinical Assessment of a Pharmaceutical Polyphenol Fruit Extract Gel to Inhibit Dental Plaque

Oral bacteria (e.g. Porphyromonas gingivalis) are associated and potentially co-causative in several medical conditions including Alzheimer’s disease and increased cardiovascular risk. Naturally occurring polyphenols are a developing class of antimicrobial pharmaceutical agents. The use of plant-based polyphenol compounds is an attractive area of medical and dental research due to their high safety factor from their presence in vegetables and fruits. This preliminary study evaluated polyphenols found in berries to reduce bacterial dental plaque accumulation. The study was an in vivo single blind randomized controlled trial of seven subjects with a novel tooth gel using validated measurements. Results showed a significant reduction in plaque accumulation (p = 0.005) and a non-significant trend to reduce gingivitis (p = 0.08). The bioactive gel showed no local or systemic adverse effects and was well tolerated by subjects.