Condition

Gingivitis

Gum inflammation and early stage of gum disease

3B
People Affected
100
Active Trials
300M
New Cases/Year

Treatment Rankings

Ranked by evidence volume first. Medicine has spent centuries ranking things by vibes. This is an improvement.

1
Professional Dental Cleaning (Prophylaxis)
95% Effectiveness• 98% Confidence• 90% Safety• 4 trials• 100K participants
HIGH EvidenceExcellent ValueDose: 1 session (30-60 minutes)
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Comparative Safety Scale(Higher is safer)

Cyanide☠️
Meth💀
Cigarettes🚬
Chemo☢️
Alcohol🍺
Morphine💊
Antibiotics💉
Tylenol💊
Exercise🏃
Water💧
90
DangerousModerateSafe

Time to Effect

Immediate for plaque/calculus removal, 1-2 weeks for clinical improvement

Duration

1-2 times per year

Response Rate

95%

Remission Rate

85%

Number Needed to Treat (NNT)

1

Common Side Effects:

Temporary tooth sensitivity: 15%
Gum soreness/bleeding: 10%

Annual Cost of Care

Drug Cost

$0

Monitoring

$350

Side Effects

$0

Total Annual

$350

Cost-Effectiveness

EXCELLENT

QALYs Gained

0.4

Cost per Remission

$411.76

Cost per Responder

$368.42

Treatment Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Bleeding on Probing (BOP)60% of sites
-65% (-39 percentage points)
Gingival Index (Löe & Silness)2.2 (on 0-3 scale)
-55% (-1.2 points)
Plaque Index (O'Leary)75% of surfaces
-70% (-52.5 percentage points)
Secondary Benefits
Oral Health-Related Quality of Life (OHIP-14 score)OHIP-14 score: 28/56
-35% (-9.8 points)
Halitosis (Organoleptic Score)Organoleptic score: 3/5
-50% (-1.5 points)
Patient-Reported Gingival Discomfort (VAS)Visual Analog Scale: 6.5/10
-40% (-2.6 points)
Common Side Effects
Temporary tooth sensitivity
+15%
Gum soreness/bleeding
+10%
2
Daily Mechanical Plaque Removal (Brushing & Flossing)
90% Effectiveness• 98% Confidence• 95% Safety• 1 trials• 1M participants
HIGH EvidenceExcellent ValueDose: Brush twice daily for 2 minutes, floss once daily
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Comparative Safety Scale(Higher is safer)

Cyanide☠️
Meth💀
Cigarettes🚬
Chemo☢️
Alcohol🍺
Morphine💊
Antibiotics💉
Tylenol💊
Exercise🏃
Water💧
95
DangerousModerateSafe

Time to Effect

1-2 weeks

Duration

Lifetime, daily

Response Rate

90%

Remission Rate

80%

Number Needed to Treat (NNT)

1

Common Side Effects:

Gum irritation/recession (from aggressive technique): 5%
Toothbrush abrasion: 2%

Annual Cost of Care

Drug Cost

$0

Monitoring

$500

Side Effects

$0

Total Annual

$500

Cost-Effectiveness

EXCELLENT

QALYs Gained

0.3

Cost per Remission

$75

Cost per Responder

$66.67

Treatment Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Gingival Index (GI)2.1 (0-3 scale)
-45% (-0.9 units)
Bleeding on Probing (BOP)65% of sites
-55% (-35 percentage points)
Plaque Index (PI)70% of surfaces
-40% (-28 percentage points)
Secondary Benefits
Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14) Score18 units (0-56 scale)
-30% (-5.4 units)
Self-reported Halitosis Incidence55% of days
-60% (-33 percentage points)
Common Side Effects
Gum irritation/recession (from aggressive technique)
+5%
Toothbrush abrasion
+2%
3
Chlorhexidine Gluconate Mouthrinse (0.12%)
85% Effectiveness• 95% Confidence• 75% Safety• 4 trials• 30K participants
HIGH EvidenceGood ValueDose: 15mL, rinse twice daily for 30-60 seconds
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Comparative Safety Scale(Higher is safer)

Cyanide☠️
Meth💀
Cigarettes🚬
Chemo☢️
Alcohol🍺
Morphine💊
Antibiotics💉
Tylenol💊
Exercise🏃
Water💧
75
DangerousModerateSafe

Time to Effect

1-2 weeks

Duration

2-4 weeks (short-term/intermittent)

Response Rate

80%

Remission Rate

60%

Number Needed to Treat (NNT)

3

Common Side Effects:

Tooth/tongue staining: 40%
Taste alteration: 20%
Increased calculus formation: 10%

Annual Cost of Care

Drug Cost

$120

Monitoring

$500

Side Effects

$0

Total Annual

$620

Cost-Effectiveness

GOOD

QALYs Gained

0.08

Cost per Remission

$200

Cost per Responder

$150

Treatment Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Gingival Index Score2.1/3 (moderate gingivitis)
-40% (-0.84 points)
Percentage of Bleeding on Probing Sites55% of sites
-45% (-24.75% of sites)
Plaque Index Score2.5/3 (moderate plaque accumulation)
-50% (-1.25 points)
Secondary Benefits
Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14) Score18/56 (moderate impact)
-25% (-4.5 points)
Organoleptic Halitosis Score3/5 (moderate halitosis)
-35% (-1.05 points)
Common Side Effects
Tooth/tongue staining
+40%
Taste alteration
+20%
Increased calculus formation
+10%

Clinical Trial Phases:

Phase 4
4
Essential Oil Mouthrinse (e.g., Listerine Antiseptic)
75% Effectiveness• 90% Confidence• 85% Safety• 200 trials• 20K participants
MODERATE EvidenceGood ValueDose: 20mL, rinse twice daily for 30 seconds
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Comparative Safety Scale(Higher is safer)

Cyanide☠️
Meth💀
Cigarettes🚬
Chemo☢️
Alcohol🍺
Morphine💊
Antibiotics💉
Tylenol💊
Exercise🏃
Water💧
85
DangerousModerateSafe

Time to Effect

1-2 weeks

Duration

Continuous, daily use

Response Rate

70%

Remission Rate

40%

Number Needed to Treat (NNT)

6

Common Side Effects:

Oral burning/irritation: 15%
Bitter taste: 7%

Annual Cost of Care

Drug Cost

$120

Monitoring

$500

Side Effects

$0

Total Annual

$620

Cost-Effectiveness

GOOD

QALYs Gained

0.04

Cost per Remission

$300

Cost per Responder

$171.43

Treatment Outcomes
Efficacy Outcomes
Overall Effectiveness
+75%
Response Rate
+70%
Remission Rate
+40%
Common Side Effects
Oral burning/irritation
+15%
Bitter taste
+7%

Clinical Trial Phases:

Phase 4
5
Stannous Fluoride (SnF2) Toothpaste/Mouthrinse
70% Effectiveness• 88% Confidence• 85% Safety• 100 trials• 10K participants
MODERATE EvidenceExcellent ValueDose: Brush twice daily; rinse once or twice daily
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Comparative Safety Scale(Higher is safer)

Cyanide☠️
Meth💀
Cigarettes🚬
Chemo☢️
Alcohol🍺
Morphine💊
Antibiotics💉
Tylenol💊
Exercise🏃
Water💧
85
DangerousModerateSafe

Time to Effect

2-4 weeks

Duration

Continuous, daily use

Response Rate

65%

Remission Rate

35%

Number Needed to Treat (NNT)

7

Common Side Effects:

Tooth/tongue staining (mild): 7%
Temporary taste alteration: 3%

Annual Cost of Care

Drug Cost

$30

Monitoring

$500

Side Effects

$0

Total Annual

$530

Cost-Effectiveness

EXCELLENT

QALYs Gained

0.05

Cost per Remission

$85.71

Cost per Responder

$46.15

Treatment Outcomes
Efficacy Outcomes
Overall Effectiveness
+70%
Response Rate
+65%
Remission Rate
+35%
Common Side Effects
Tooth/tongue staining (mild)
+7%
Temporary taste alteration
+3%

Clinical Trial Phases:

Phase 4