Research scientist Dr Paola Gomez-Pereira and her colleagues who work at Philips Research in Cambridge recently published a clinical trial article in the Journal of Breath Research which reviewed the effectiveness of a new sonic powered tongue brush and antibacterial spray combination, Sonicare TongueCare+. The TongueCare+ brush is combined with the BreathRx antibacterial spray to combat breath odour. The study monitored malodour levels and bacterial density for up to six hours by organoleptic scoring and bacterial density in the tongue.
Breath odour is a result of too many sulphur producing bacteria in the oral flora and is often associated with caries and periodontal disease. The root cause of breath odour actually comes from the bacterial tongue biofilm, as indicated by the positive correlation between bacterial density and organoleptic score, which was demonstrated in the published trial results.
It has been was observed that standard chemical and mechanical methods fail to deliver a full day of fresh breath; mouth rinses mask the volatile sulphur compounds but have little effect on the tongue bacterial density, whilst tongue scrapers and brushes only remove limited bacterial biofilms from the tongue complex surface.
The randomised clinical investigation was carried out on a total of 21 non-smokers with noticeable levels of halitosis, at the University of West England (UWE) between July and August, 2014.
Combination therapy
Each trial participant was given a Sonicare sonic toothbrush handle, and a SonicareTongueCare+ consisting of a brush head BreathRx Tongue Spray. With 240 rubber MicroBristles, the TongueCare+ soft silicone tongue brush head is specifically designed to penetrate in between the tongue papillae and provide thorough mechanical biofilm removal. This is affixed to a Sonicare toothbrush, which generates 31,000 vibrations per minute to break up tongue debris, sweep away bad breath bacteria and drive the bacteria killing ingredients of the BreathRx tongue spray deeper, allowing patients to maintain fresh breath for longer. The unique combination of ingredients in the BreathRx tongue spray is clinically proven to tackle breath odour and neutralise odours instantly. The special thick formula containing 0.09 per cent cetylpyridinium chloride and 0.7 per cent zinc gluconate coats the tongue and keeps it lubricated for a gentle cleaning experience.
Six hours of fresh breath following single use
The results of this clinical investigation demonstrated that the combined use of the Sonicare power toothbrush with TongueCare+ brush and BreathRx spray helps deliver more than six hours of fresh breath following a single use. This approach reduced the organoleptic score and bacterial density significantly more than all alternative treatments.
More information about the Philips Oral Healthcare products used in the trial please visit www.philips-tsp.co.uk