Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To introduce a variable which directly measures maintenance of gingival health. DESIGN: The maintenance of gingival health index (MGHI) is based on the change in score at each tooth site compared to a reference visit for a clinical index (eg MGI or BI). For a subject the number of sites that (1) improve-NDEC, (2) show no change-NNOCHG or (3) worsen-NINC in score are determined. Then the MGHI for a subject is defined as (NDEC+NNOCHNG)/NINC. RESULTS: This method was applied to two clinical studies and both studies demonstrated significantly better maintenance of gingival health in those subjects who received the experimental 0.1% w/w o-cymen-5-ol/ 0.6% w/w ZnCl2 dentifrice compared to the 0.204% w/w sodium fluoride control dentifrice based on a gingival and a bleeding clinical index. CONCLUSION: The MGHI is a useful measure to assess the maintenance of gingival health. It is very applicable to the maintenance of gingival health study designs as it directly looks at a measurement of maintaining the health of tooth sites. It also provides a meaningful measure of the relative effectiveness of dentifrice products to the dental practitioner.