New York University (NYU) researchers published a study in the Journal of Periodontology on the treatment outcomes of dental flossing in twins. The purpose was to as-sess the effects of dental flossing on the microbial composition of interproximal plaque samples in matched twins. It was a 2-treatment, examiner masked, randomized, parallel-group, controlled study. Researchers studied 51 well-matched twin pairs (each set was a case and a control), regarding their treatment responses to dental flossing over a 2-week period. After 2 weeks, putative periodontal pathogens and cariogenic bacteria were overabundant in the group that did not floss compared to the group that performed flossing. The twins who flossed had a significant decrease in gingival bleeding compared to twins who did not floss. Relative to baseline, bleeding scores were reduced by 38% over the 2 weeks in the flossing group of twins. The authors concluded, “In a well-matched twin cohort, tooth and tongue brushing plus flossing significantly decreased the abundance of microbial species associated with periodontal disease and dental caries after a 2-week program.” Because they live together and have similar dietary habits and health practices, twins are considered excellent subjects for research that compares periodontal diseases and dental caries development in people of the same age from similar environments. This research stems from a 5-year study funded by a National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research grant to assess the relative significance of potential factors in caries development utilizing 500 pairs of twins.
(Source: NYU College of Dentistry, December 17, 2008)
