Clinical Efficacy Comparison Between Brush-and-Floss and Brush-and-Rinse Daily Oral Hygiene Regimens on Plaque and Gingivitis in a Six-Week Randomized Clinical Model

This prospective randomized study, examiner-blind, parallel-group clinical evaluating the comparative efficacy of a brush-and-rinse regimen versus a brush-and-floss regimen on plaque accumulation and gingival inflammation over 42 days. Seventy-six subjects brushed twice daily and were assigned to either daily flossing (control) or daily antimicrobial rinsing (test). Modified Gingival Index (MGI), Bleeding Index (BI), and Plaque Index (PI) were recorded at baseline, Day 14, and Day 42. The brush-and-rinse regimen demonstrated statistically significant reductions in MGI, BI, and PI from baseline (p<0.001). At Day 42, whole-mouth MGI improved 35% and BI 61.9%, while the control group showed minimal or negative change. Between-group analysis confirmed the statistical superiority of adjunctive rinsing for both gingival and plaque endpoints. Within the limitations of this six-week model, antimicrobial rinsing provided superior clinical outcomes compared with daily flossing.