The purpose of this effort is the development of an improved dental floss incorporating a medicated lubricant for the prevention of gingivitis and other periodontal diseases. Gingivitis is largely caused by bacterial activity. Efforts to control intraoral flora by the use of antimicrobial agents, particularly chlorhexidine compounds, have been promising. By incorporation chlorhexidine compounds in a water soluble dental floss lubricant the antimicrobial will be deposited directly into the interdental spaces which are most susceptible to disease. The relative ease of use of the system will encourage patient compliance and could offer the possibility of dental prophylaxis in difficult situations such as hospital wards or for military personnel in the field. Several different chlorhexidine compounds with differing solubility rates will be prepared. Growth zone inhibition tests will be performed on the lubricant preparations. Promising preparations will be tested in vitro using tooth models to determine the effectiveness of transfer to the tooth surface and continued activity against oral pathogens. Results of this testing should lead to the selection of a system capable of delivering optimal levels of medication for effective preventive dental care.
