Table 3. Comparison of plaque index between the toothpastes.
| Time | Study groups | N | Mean (SD) | Minimum | Maximum | Median (Q1–Q3) | Wilcoxon signed-rank test | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| z | p -Value | |||||||
| Baseline | Toothpaste 1 | 20 | 0.56 (0.42) | 0.13 | 1.33 | 0.35 (0.21–0.96) | −1.59 | 0.11 (NS) |
| Toothpaste 2 | 20 | 0.46 (0.34) | 0.08 | 1.25 | 0.38 (0.21–0.75) | |||
| 3 days | Toothpaste 1 | 20 | 0.45 (0.33) | 0.08 | 1.16 | 0.32 (0.21–0.65) | −3.66 | <0.001 a |
| Toothpaste 2 | 20 | 0.34 (0.30) | 0.08 | 1 | 0.19 (0.13–0.52) | |||
| Change b | Toothpaste 1 | 20 | 0.10 (0.17) | -0.25 | 0.42 | 0.06 (0–0.26) | −0.41 | 0.68 (NS) |
| Toothpaste 2 | 20 | 0.13 (0.14) | -0.08 | 0.55 | 0.08 (0.05–0.23) | |||
Abbreviation: NS, nonsignificant.
a
p < 0.05 statistically significant, p > 0.05 nonsignificant.
b
Change = change in GI scores from baseline to 3 days. This change is compared between the two toothpastes to know if there is significant change in scores.