BOLD INSIGHTS FROM A MILESTONE INVESTIGATION.

A LANDMARK META-ANALYSIS DEMONSTRATES HOW TO TREAT A GLOBAL ORAL HEALTH PROBLEM. AND IT STARTS WITH YOU.

As a dentist, you know that oral disease is widespread. But you may be surprised by the severity of the situation.

Bold Facts:

• A recent study revealed that untreated oral disease affects approximately 3.9 billion people globally. That’s more than half the planet’s total population^1,2   
• 90% of the world has some degree of chronic gingivitis³
• In most industrialized countries, oral disease is the 4th most expensive disease to treat⁴

As the makers of LISTERINE^®, we want to share with you some bold insights from a landmark meta-analysis that sheds light on how some of the products available to you and your patients can play a leading role in addressing this global health issue.

As you know, a healthy mouth requires controlling biofilms.^5-9 Plaque control is fundamental to achieving oral health.^10,11 And, while the standard recommendation for at-home oral care focuses on mechanical methods, brushing and flossing aren’t enough.^10,11 In fact, research shows that brushing and flossing only removes approximately 42% of plaque*.¹²

Removing plaque from the tooth surface is crucial. But, the tooth surface is only 25% of the total area of the mouth exposed to bacteria.¹³ Other areas in the mouth can act as reservoirs for bacteria that can then re-colonize bacteria on teeth following dental prophylaxis or cleaning treatment.¹⁴

The good news is, a landmark meta-analysis has concluded that LISTERINE^® Antiseptic can provide a benefit beyond mechanical oral hygiene alone in preventing and reducing plaque accumulation and gingivitis.¹⁵

The meta-analysis evaluated these studies with a focus on outcomes applicable to clinical practice. It reviewed randomized, observer-blind, placebo-controlled, published and unpublished clinical studies assessing the effect of an essential oil-containing mouthrinse (MMEO) vs mechanical methods in subjects with mild-to-moderate plaque and gingivitis. The magnitude of the pooled study is extraordinary¹⁵:

The bold results: Unequivocal proof that daily use of an essential oil (EO) mouthrinse like LISTERINE® Antiseptic, along with mechanical oral hygiene, provides greater prevention of gingivitis and plaque buildup than mechanical oral hygiene alone.

Specifically, at 6 months, MMEO subjects had nearly 5 times more plaque-free sites vs mechanical method subjects, and over 2 times more healthy gingival sites vs mechanical methods as well.¹⁵

So what does this mean for your practice?

It means that when your patients use an EO mouthrinse like LISTERINE^® Antiseptic, you can be confident that it is:

 

• Reaching even the hardest-to-reach areas of their mouth
• Killing bacteria down the to the bottom layer
• Helping maintain the oral microflora at levels compatible with a healthy mouth

All of which can provide a clinically significant benefit to the patient.^7,9

Despite the availability of preventive measures, untreated oral disease remains a significant global burden.¹ And, while you can’t treat the entire world, you can suggest to patients that adding LISTERINE^® Antiseptic to brushing and flossing can provide greater prevention of gingivitis and plaque buildup than mechanical methods alone.

And that’s a bold start.

We hope you found this article of value.