Observations on the Clinical Use of a Chlorophyll Dentifrice

Abstract

Within the past few years, a number of preparations containing chlorophyll1 have been offered to the medical and dental professions and to the public. Although the importance of this substance in plant physiology has long been recognized and although some reports of its role in gen­ eral medicine,2'5 surgery6’ 7 and dentistry 8*18 are available, final appraisal of its use in clinical dentistry has not yet been made. There are reports in the literature of the effect of chlorophyll on salivary lactobacillus counts.8,18’ 20 In the studies which have utilized dentifrices contain­ ing chlorophyll, the subjects brushed their teeth in a definite manner at specific times (controlled brushing). Since chlorophyll-containing dentifrices can be pur­ chased without prescription “ over the counter,” it is most likely that persons using such a dentifrice use it as they use other dentifrices rather than according to a controlled brushing technic. For this reason the effects of “ uncontrolled” brushing of the teeth with a chlorophyllcontaining dentifrice were studied.21