CClinicalTrials.gg
CompletedNCT02864901APCGUpdated Jul 15, 2025Results posted

Is an Antiplaque Chewing Gum (30 mg) Able to Reduce Dental Plaque in a Healthy Population?

A Phase 2 interventional study of KSL-W in Plaque Regrowth, sponsored by U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command. Completed. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 64 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2025-07-15.

Sponsored by U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command · Phase 2, Interventional, and Prevention

Phase
Phase 2
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
27
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years to 64 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

The Safety, efficacy and tolerability of an Antimicrobial Chewing Gum Formulation in Reducing Dental Plaque

Read the detailed description

A Phase 2 two-armed placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized (1:1), multiple dose, single center interventional study to evaluate the safety and proof of concept for an antimicrobial decapeptide KSL-W chewing gum formulation 3 times per day over 4 treatment days measuring dental plaque regrowth from specific regions of the upper jaw, lower jaw, buccal and lingual surfaces.

02

Conditions studied

  • Plaque Regrowth
03

In context

Lead sponsor

U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command is the lead sponsor of 151 studies on the registry; 8 are open to participants now.

Of its 23 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 16 (70%) have results posted.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

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Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 64 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

  • A negative urine pregnancy test (females of childbearing potential only)
  • A negative urine drug test
  • On a reliable form of birth control for at least 30 days prior to the start of the study and willing to use a reliable form of contraception for the duration of the study (Females of childbearing potential only), with reliable contraception defined as:
  • Abstinence which has been the customary lifestyle of choice
  • Oral contraceptive, either estrogen progesterone combined, or progesterone alone
  • Injectable progesterone
  • Implants of levonorgestrel
  • Estrogenic vaginal ring
  • Percutaneous contraceptive patches
  • Intrauterine device or intrauterine system
  • Double barrier method [condom or occlusive cap (diaphragm or cervical vault caps) plus spermicidal agent (foam, gel, film, cream, suppository)]
  • Male partner sterilization at least 6 months prior to the female subject's entry into the study, and this male is the sole partner for that subject
  • Post-menopausal for at least two years
  • Good health, as determined by pertinent medical history, physical examination, and vital signs
  • A minimum of 20 natural teeth with 6 scorable surfaces per tooth
  • Sufficient number of opposing posterior teeth to chew on both sides of the mouth as determined by the examining dentist
  • Teeth that have gross caries, full crowns or extensive restorations on facial and/or lingual surfaces, orthodontic bands, and third molars are not included in the tooth count
  • Subject must have refrained from all oral hygiene procedures 12 to 16 hours prior to screening visit
  • Plaque Index of 1.95 or greater (Turesky et al-1970)
  • Willing to forgo any optional dental procedures during the study period, such as dental prophylaxis or teeth whitening
  • Ability to comprehend and a willingness to sign an informed consent, which includes the Authorization for the Release of Health Information document
  • Ability to access the internet to complete the drug compliance information
  • Willingness to comply with all study procedures

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

E01 Phenylketonuria E02 Acute or chronic medical conditions, organ system disease, or medications that, in the principal investigator's opinion, would impair the subject's ability to participate E03 TMD E04 Self-reported allergy to sucralose or mint flavors E05 Self-reported use of tobacco products including e-cigarettes E06 Use of any type of anticoagulant medications (eg clopidogrel) E07 Routine use of proton pump inhibitors E08 Allergic to any component of the study drug E09 Gross oral pathology, including widespread caries or chronic neglect, extensive restoration, pre-existing gross plaque or calculus, or soft or hard tissue tumor of the oral cavity E010Orthodontic appliances or removable partial dentures that will compromise the ability of the potential subject to participate in the study E011Periodontitis as indicated by periodontal pockets greater than 4 millimeters on more than one site E012 Receipt of any investigational drug/test product within 30 days prior to study entry with study entry defined as Day 0, or currently participating in either the active or follow-up phase of any other investigational study or planning to participate in any other investigational study during participation in this trial E013 Participation in the Phase 1/2a antiplaque study E014 Receipt of antibiotics within 30 days prior to study entry E015 Need for antibiotic prophylaxis prior to invasive dental procedures E016 Receipt of prescription antibacterial oral products (eg products containing chlorhexidine) within 30 days prior to study entry E017 Pregnant or breast-feeding female E018 An employee of the study site directly involved with the study E019 Inability to comply with assigned treatment regimen

05

Study design

Phase
Phase 2
Primary purpose
Prevention
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Triple (Participant, Care provider, Investigator)
Enrollment
27 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    KSL-W 30 mg

    3 times per day over 4 treatment days

    Drug: KSL-W

  • Placebo comparator
    Chewing Gum Placebo

    3 times per day over 4 treatment days

    Drug: KSL-W

Interventions

  • DrugKSL-W

    Antimicrobial KSL-W Plaque reducing chewing gum

    Also known as: Antimicrobial decapeptide KSL-W

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Safety, Tolerability and Effectiveness in Reducing Dental Plaque of KLS-W Delivered in a Chewing Gum Formulation

    Day 4 Exam Following 72-hours of Chewing Gum Treatment. Exam Included Vital Signs and Whole Mouth Dental Examination (Maxillary Buccal, Maxillary Lingual, Mandibular Buccal and Mandibular Surfaces) Assessing for Local Oral Mucosal Reactions, Systemic Reactions and Serious Total Body Reactions.

    Time frame: Baseline, and Day 4 Following Three-days of Chewing Gum Treatment

Secondary outcomes

  1. Score on a Scale of Whole Mouth Change in Plaque Regrowth Based on Sub-scores From Specific Regions of the Upper Jaw, Lower Jaw, Buccal and Lingual Surface Using Standardized QHT Measures

    The Amount of Plaque Regrowth Based on Sub-scores From Specific Regions of the Upper Jaw, Lower Jaw, Buccal and Lingual Surface Based on the Quigley-Hein Turskey Plaque Index (QHT) a measure that evaluates plaque on teeth surfaces on a scale of 0 to 5 defined by Quigley \&Hein in 1962 and modified by Turskey et al in 1970. All teeth except the third molars are assessed. An index for the entire mouth is determined by dividing the total score by the number of surfaces examined. Quigley-Hein-Turskey Plaque Index Scale Minimum score 0=no plaque, 1-Isolated flecks of plaque at the gingival margin, 2=A continuous band of plaque up to 1mm at the gingival margin, 3=Plaque greater than 1mm in width and covering up to one third of the tooth surface, 4=Plaque covering from one thirds to two thirds of the tooth surface, Maximum score of 5=Plaque covering more than two thirds of the tooth surface

    Time frame: 4 Days

07

Results

Posted Jul 15, 2025

Participant flow

Participant flow — Overall Study
MilestoneKSL-W 30 mgChewing Gum Placebo
Started1413
Completed1313
Not completed10
Withdrew: Withdrawal by subject10

Outcome measures

PrimarySafety, Tolerability and Effectiveness in Reducing Dental Plaque of KLS-W Delivered in a Chewing Gum Formulation

Day 4 Exam Following 72-hours of Chewing Gum Treatment. Exam Included Vital Signs and Whole Mouth Dental Examination (Maxillary Buccal, Maxillary Lingual, Mandibular Buccal and Mandibular Surfaces) Assessing for Local Oral Mucosal Reactions, Systemic Reactions and Serious Total Body Reactions.

Time frame:
Baseline, and Day 4 Following Three-days of Chewing Gum Treatment
Reported as:
Number · participants
Safety, Tolerability and Effectiveness in Reducing Dental Plaque of KLS-W Delivered in a Chewing Gum Formulation
participantsKSL-W 30 mgChewing Gum Placebo
Local Oral Mucosal Changes00
Systemic Reactions or Serious Total Body Reactions00
SecondaryScore on a Scale of Whole Mouth Change in Plaque Regrowth Based on Sub-scores From Specific Regions of the Upper Jaw, Lower Jaw, Buccal and Lingual Surface Using Standardized QHT Measures

The Amount of Plaque Regrowth Based on Sub-scores From Specific Regions of the Upper Jaw, Lower Jaw, Buccal and Lingual Surface Based on the Quigley-Hein Turskey Plaque Index (QHT) a measure that evaluates plaque on teeth surfaces on a scale of 0 to 5 defined by Quigley \&Hein in 1962 and modified by Turskey et al in 1970. All teeth except the third molars are assessed. An index for the entire mouth is determined by dividing the total score by the number of surfaces examined. Quigley-Hein-Turskey Plaque Index Scale Minimum score 0=no plaque, 1-Isolated flecks of plaque at the gingival margin, 2=A continuous band of plaque up to 1mm at the gingival margin, 3=Plaque greater than 1mm in width and covering up to one third of the tooth surface, 4=Plaque covering from one thirds to two thirds of the tooth surface, Maximum score of 5=Plaque covering more than two thirds of the tooth surface

Time frame:
4 Days
Reported as:
Mean · QHT Score, Subscore
Score on a Scale of Whole Mouth Change in Plaque Regrowth Based on Sub-scores From Specific Regions of the Upper Jaw, Lower Jaw, Buccal and Lingual Surface Using Standardized QHT Measures
QHT Score, SubscoreChewing Gum PlaceboKSL-W 30 mg
Whole Mouth Quigley-Hein-Turskey Plaque Score (Day 0)2.95 ± 0.4712.96 ± 0.403
Maxillary Buccal Quigley-Hein-Turskey Plaque Score (Day 0)3.05 ± 0.7122.96 ± 0.576
Maxillary Lingual Quigley-Hein-Turskey Plaque Score (Day 0)2.52 ± 0.5722.49 ± 0.434
Mandibular Buccal Quigley-Hein-Turskey Plaque Score (Day 0)3.07 ± 0.5132.80 ± 0.550
Mandibular Lingual Quigley-Hein-Turskey Plaque Score (Day 0)3.20 ± 0.6763.60 ± 0.663
Whole Mouth Quigley-Hein-Turskey Plaque Score (Day 4)2.80 ± 0.6801.65 ± 0.725
Maxillary Buccal Quigley-Hein-Turskey Plaque Score (Day 4)3.63 ± 0.6792.85 ± 1.064
Maxillary Lingual Quigley-Hein-Turskey Plaque Score (Day 4)1.81 ± 0.5580.50 ± 0.477
Mandibular Buccal Quigley-Hein-Turskey Plaque Score (Day 4)3.23 ± 0.9452.16 ± 1.011
Mandibullar Lingual Quigley-Hein-Turskey Plaque Score (Day 4)2.52 ± 0.8581.14 ± 0.779

Adverse events

Collected over 30 mg KSL-W administered in a chewing gum formulation 3 times per day over 4 treatment days. Oral hygiene (teeth brushing, flossing and/or mouth wash rinse) was prohibited throughout the trial, beginning 12 to 16 hours before both the screening and Baseline (Day 0) visits, during the 4 days of treatment (Days 0, 1, 2, and 3), and ending after the periodontal examination and plaque assessment on Day 4.. Non-serious events are listed at a 0% frequency threshold.

Adverse event summary by group
GroupDeathsSeriousOther
KSL-W 30 mg0/13 (0%)0/13 (0%)0/13 (0%)
Chewing Gum Placebo0/13 (0%)0/13 (0%)0/13 (0%)

Baseline characteristics

Age, Categorical
Age, Categorical(Participants)KSL-W 30 mgChewing Gum PlaceboTotal
<=18 years000
Between 18 and 65 years131326
>=65 years000
Sex: Female, Male
Sex: Female, Male(Participants)KSL-W 30 mgChewing Gum PlaceboTotal
Female8917
Male549
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)(Participants)KSL-W 30 mgChewing Gum PlaceboTotal
Hispanic or Latino202
Not Hispanic or Latino111324
Unknown or Not Reported000
Race (NIH/OMB)
Race (NIH/OMB)(Participants)KSL-W 30 mgChewing Gum PlaceboTotal
American Indian or Alaska Native101
Asian000
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander000
Black or African American101
White101323
More than one race101
Unknown or Not Reported000
08

Study locations

No study locations are listed for this record.

09

References and documents

Publications

  • Kirkwood B, Miller M, Milleman J, Milleman K, Leung K. Four-day plaque regrowth evaluation of a peptide chewing gum in a double-blind randomized clinical trial. Clin Exp Dent Res. 2020 Jun;6(3):318-327. doi: 10.1002/cre2.275. Epub 2019 Dec 14. PubMed 32558314 ↗

Study documents

  • Study protocol · Jul 28, 2016
  • Statistical analysis plan · Feb 28, 2017
  • Informed consent form · Jun 22, 2016

Documents are hosted by the registry — open the source record to download them.

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Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Jul 15, 2025, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT02864901
Lead sponsor
U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Aug 12, 2016
Start date
Oct 2016
Primary completion
Nov 2016
Completion
Nov 2016
Results posted
Jul 15, 2025
Last update
Jul 15, 2025

Study contacts

Jeffery L Milleman, DDS, MPA
principal investigator · Salus Research

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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