Effects on Gingivitis of Two Different 0.4% SnF2 Gels

Abstract

For nine months we monitored the periodontal health of 81 adolescents undergoing orthodontic treatment with fixed appliances, to determine whether daily use of a brush-on 0.4% SnF ₂ gel would be better than toothbrushing alone in maintaining periodontal health in these patients, and whether a gel supplying a high percentage of available Sn²⁺ ion would be more beneficial than a gel supplying a low percentage of available Sn²⁺ ion. The subjects were matched for age and sex and placed into a control group, which used toothbrushing alone, and two treatment groups, which used toothbrushing supplemented with daily use of a SnF₂ gel. One treatment group used a gel with 98% available Sn²⁺ ion twice daily for the entire nine months. The other treatment group used a gel with less than 2% available Sn²⁺ once a day for six months, then twice a day for the remaining three months of the study. Clinical assessments (Plaque Index, Gingival Index, Bleeding Tendency, pocket depth, and coronal staining) were made before appliances were placed and at one, three, six, and nine months after appliances were placed. Results indicated that the group using the high-availability Sn ²⁺ gel twice daily had significantly lower Gingival Index and Bleeding Tendency scores at the one-, three-, six-, and nine-month examinations than did the control group. The group using the low-availability Sn²⁺ gel showed no significant differences in these assessments from the control group. Neither treatment group showed significant differences from the control group in Plaque Index or pocket depth. In the group using the high-availability Sn²⁺ gel, one subject developed mild coronal staining, and two developed moderate staining.