Journal of AdvancedMedical and Dental Sciences Research

Introduction: The removal of plaque is vital to maintain the health of periodontal and peri-implant tissues. To compare clinical efficacy for plaque removal between dental floss with soft ellipsoidal knots and conventional floss. Materials and Methods: We studied 33 university students including regular and sporadic users of dental floss, with interproximal spaces <1 mm, who used floss with and without knots in a randomized manner following a split-mouth design. The Modified Navy Plaque Index (RMNPI) by Rustogi et al. was applied to determine the total removed plaque (TPI) and that removed in the gingival area (GPI) and interproximal spaces (IPI). Results: The reduction in GPI was greater with the knotted versus conventional floss in all cases (14.77 ± 12.38; 64.79% vs. 17.38 ± 13.66 ; 57.51%) and especially among no floss users (12.469 ± 10.98; 68.02% vs 15.833 ± 11.88; 58.55%). No statistically significant difference between floss types was found in TPI and IPI (globally or by floss utilization frequency) or in the mean GPI of floss users. Conclusion: Floss with ellipsoidal knots showed similar efficacy to remove plaque in patients with less experience of flossing compared to flossing themselves with conventional floss, and it may be an optimal solution for patients starting to use dental floss and for those with a lesser or only sporadic history of floss utilization.