A double-blind randomized clinical trial of Brazilian red propolis dentifrice efficacy in orthodontic patients.

PURPOSE: The objective was to evaluate the efficacy of a dentifrice containing Brazilian Red Propolis (BRP) against salivary Lactobacillus spp. and plaque formation. METHODS: This was a randomized, double-blind clinical trial. Forty-two participants were randomized into two groups according to the dentifrice employed: G1 (fluoridated BRP dentifrice) and G2 (fluoridated common dentifrice). Saliva was collected and the visible plaque index (VPI) was recorded at the baseline (D0) and 4 weeks after day 0 (D28). Microbiological analysis was performed using two dilutions. Lactobacillus spp. isolates were identified and their abundance was expressed as log (CFU/mL). RESULTS: For the first dilution, the counts of Lactobacillus spp. in G1 was 1.15 +/- 0.41 at D0 and 0.68 +/- 0.15 at D28 (P < 0.05) and in G2 it was 1.33 +/- 0.52 at D0 and 1.84 +/- 0.39 at D28 (P < 0.05). For the second dilution, the corresponding values in G1 and G2 were 0.87 +/- 0.34 and 0.64 +/- 0.37, respectively (P = 0.1547), and 1.54 +/- 0.47 and 1.62 +/- 0.37, respectively (P = 0.9999). The corresponding VPI values for G1 and G2 were 38.10 +/- 17.95 and 20.60 +/- 16.44, respectively (P < 0.05), and 38.38 +/- 19.65 and 27.40 +/- 14.63, respectively (P = 0.03). CONCLUSION: The dentifrice containing BRP showed antimicrobial activity against Lactobacillus spp. and decreased the VPI for up to 4 weeks.