THE FINDING OF ANTIPLAQUE FEATURES IN ACACIA-ARABICA TYPE OF CHEWING GUM

The gum of Acacia Arabica is described in the British pharmacopoeia as a source of useful medicaments. It is believed to be of value for treating gingivitis and for reducing plaque. 2 blind crossover trials were carried out to evaluate the antiplaque potential of Acacia gum compared with sugar free gum. In trial 1, the mean gingival and plaque scores were lower after 7 days of using Acacia compared with sugar-free gum but the differences were insignificant. In trial 2, daily photographic assessment of erythrocine-stained plaque showed lower scores after Acacia gum compared with sugar-free gum. The total difference in scores for each day from each individual between the 2 treatments was highly significant (p < 0.05). This implies the presence of substances in Acacia gum which, compared with ordinary gum, primarily inhibit the early deposition of plaque.