Effect of sodium lauryl sulfate on recurrent aphthous stomatitis: A systematic review.
Level 1 - systematic review of randomized trials
Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
PubMed 30839136 · doi:10.1111/jop.12845
What was done
Authors conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis searching Cochrane, Medline, Embase, and trial registries through December 2017 with no language restrictions. Double-blinded randomized controlled trials comparing sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS)-free to SLS-containing dentifrices in patients with recurrent aphthous stomatitis were included. Data extraction followed PRISMA and Cochrane Handbook standards, pooling trials with a random-effects model.
What was found
Four crossover trials comprising 124 total participants were included, with two trials contributing to the main meta-analysis. SLS-free dentifrice statistically significantly reduced the number of ulcers, ulcer duration, number of episodes, and ulcer pain compared to SLS-containing dentifrice. Specific numerical effect sizes, confidence intervals, and p-values were not reported in the abstract. Sensitivity analyses treating the four studies as parallel trials showed consistent effects favoring SLS-free toothpaste across all four outcomes.
Why it matters
Recurrent aphthous stomatitis is a painful and common oral condition. Switching to an SLS-free dentifrice represents an accessible, non-pharmacologic oral care change that may reduce the frequency, duration, and severity of ulcer outbreaks.
Limits
The total sample size is very small, consisting of only four trials and 124 participants, with only two studies pooled in the primary meta-analysis. All included studies were crossover designs, which can be vulnerable to carryover effects, and numerical effect estimates were not reported in the abstract.
Cited by
- context Studies over the past 20 years show that sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) is a major cause of oral canker sores.