ORAL HEALTH EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE PROGRAM
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Title Listerine is Effective in Treating Recurrent Aphthous Lesions
Clinical Question For a patient with recurrent aphthous stomatitis, would treatment with an over-the-counter anti-microbial mouth rinse be more effective at reducing the length of time and severity of associated symptoms than no treatment at all?
Clinical Bottom Line Application of an anti-microbial rinse, such as Listerine can reduce both the severity (pain) and duration of recurrent aphthous ulcers. (See Comments on the CAT below)
Best Evidence (you may view more info by clicking on the PubMed ID link)
PubMed ID Author / Year Patient Group Study type
(level of evidence)
#1) 1923440 Meiller/1991106 male and female RAU patients, divided randomly into control and test groupsRandomized Controlled Clinical Trial
Key resultsControl group used 5% hydro-alcoholic control rinse, test group used Listerine. Each rinsed for 30 seconds, 2x/day for 6 months. Test group showed a clinically significant reduction in number of ulcers (2.85 change from baseline, p<.0001), duration of ulcers (2.42 change from baseline, p<.0001) and reported pain severity (.84 change from baseline, p<.0001).
Evidence Search ("Stomatitis, Aphthous"[Mesh] OR "Sutton disease 2"[Supplementary Concept]) AND "Mouthwashes"[Mesh] ...view in PubMed
Comments on
The Evidence
Sample size was adequate and randomly assigned, with an evenly distributed demographic makeup and had a compliance rate ranging from 92-94%. Of the original 106 participants, 10 dropped out. However, the study was not conducted double blind and, while no specific disclosure information is given regarding researcher association with product manufacturers, there is a brief of "thank you" to one associate who was a member of Warner-Lambert, therefore the possibility of researcher bias must be considered.
Applicability Recurrent Aphthous Ulcers is a common clinical presentation and this study would be applicable to a general practice setting.
Specialty/Discipline (Public Health) (Oral Medicine/Pathology/Radiology) (General Dentistry) (Pediatric Dentistry) (Dental Hygiene)
Keywords Stomatitis, AphthousAntimicrobial AgentListerine
ID# 607
Date of submission: 04/30/2010spacer Revised: 12/06/2011
E-mail jonesc6@livemail.uthscsa.edu
Author Corey Jones
Co-author(s)
Co-author(s) e-mail
Faculty mentor/Co-author Mary Norma Partida, DDS, MPH
Faculty mentor/Co-author e-mail PARTIDAM@uthscsa.edu
Basic Science Rationale
(Mechanisms that may account for and/or explain the clinical question, i.e. is the answer to the clinical question consistent with basic biological, physical and/or behavioral science principles, laws and research?)
post a rationale
None available
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Comments and Evidence-Based Updates on the CAT
(FOR PRACTICING DENTISTS', FACULTY, RESIDENTS and/or STUDENTS COMMENTS ON PUBLISHED CATs)
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by Candace DeFratus, Cheryl Pezzotti, Arthur Gonzalez (San Antonio, TX) on 01/07/2013
In January 2013, the search was redone and the article by Bailey, J in 2011 (PMID 21977491) compares more treatment options more extensively. However, the original article is still applicable and probably the most cost effective way to treat apthous ulcers with the highest level of patient compliance.
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