Introduction: Ecological approaches to dental caries prevention play a key role in attaining long-term control over the disease and maintaining a symbiotic oral microbiome. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the microbial ecological effects of 2 interventional dentifrices: a casein phosphopeptide–amorphous calcium phosphate (CPP-ACP) dentifrice and the same dentifrice supplemented with a polyphenol-rich cranberry extract. Methods: The interventional toothpastes were compared with each other and with an active control fluoride dentifrice in a double-blinded randomized controlled trial. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) analysis was used to determine changes in the bacterial loads of 14 key bacterial species (8 caries associated and 6 health associated) in the dental plaque of trial participants after they used the dentifrices for 5 to 6 wk. Results: From the baseline to the recall visit, significant differences were observed between the treatment groups in the bacterial loads of 2 caries-associated bacterial species ( Streptococcus mutans [ P < 0.001] and Veillonella parvula [ P < 0.001]) and 3 health-associated bacterial species ( Corynebacterium durum [P = 0.008], Neisseria flavescens [ P = 0.005], and Streptococcus sanguinis [ P < 0.001]). Compared to the fluoride control dentifrice, the CPP-ACP dentifrice demonstrated significant differences for S. mutans ( P = 0.032), C. durum ( P = 0.007), and S. sanguinis ( P < 0.001), while combination CPP-ACP–cranberry dentifrice showed significant differences for S. mutans ( P < 0.001), V. parvula ( P < 0.001), N. flavescens ( P = 0.003), and S. sanguinis ( P < 0.001). However, no significant differences were observed in the bacterial load comparisons between the CPP-ACP and combination dentifrices for any of the targeted bacterial species ( P > 0.05). Conclusions: Overall, the results indicate that dentifrices containing CPP-ACP and polyphenol-rich cranberry extracts can influence a species-level shift in the ecology of the oral microbiome, resulting in a microbial community less associated with dental caries (Australian New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry ANZCTR 12618000095268). Knowledge Transfer Statement: The results of this randomized controlled trial indicate that dentifrices containing casein phosphopeptide–amorphous calcium phosphate (CPP-ACP) and polyphenol-rich cranberry extracts were able to beneficially modulate the microbial ecology of dental plaque in a group of high caries-risk patients. This could contribute toward lowering the risk of developing new caries lesions, an important goal sought by patients, clinicians, and policy makers.
Randomized Controlled Study to Evaluate Microbial Ecological Effects of CPP-ACP and Cranberry on Dental Plaque
