Ramona Avram.qxp

Aim. Dental floss is the most effective means for the removal of bacterial plaque from proximal tooth areas. The efficacy of the use of dental floss was evaluated, regardless of its commercial form, in individual oral hygiene practice. Material and methods. A parallel clinical study of 58 subjects was performed over a period of four weeks. In order to assess the oral hygiene and gingival status, the proximal plaque index modified according to Lange (API) and the papillary bleeding index of Muhlemann (PBI) were determined. Subjects were distributed into two equal groups of treatment. The subjects in the first group were trained in the correct use of dental floss, once per day before tooth brushing, and in brushing their teeth two times daily, in the morning and evening, using the tooth brush and paste. The subjects in the second group were trained to brush their teeth two times per day, in the morning and evening, with the tooth brush and paste. After four weeks, subjects were reevaluated regarding their oral hygiene and gingival status. Treatment effects across time within each group were examined using a paired t-test. A p value = 0.001 was considered as statistically significant. Results. After four weeks, subjects who used tooth brushing associated with dental floss demonstrated significant decreases (p=0.0001) in papillary bleeding, of 56.75%, with an initial mean PBI value of 0.74(±0.15) and a final mean PBI value of 0.31(±0.25). In this treatment group, a significant decrease in proximal plaque deposits, of 58.1%, was also found. Conclusion. These results support the clinical efficacy of dental floss for the removal of bacterial plaque from proximal tooth areas.