The effect of long-term use of a dentifrice containing zinc citrate and a non-ionic agent on the oral flora.

ABSTRACT

The effect on the oral ecology of daily use, for seven months, of a dentifrice containing 0.5% (w/w) zinc citrate and a non-ionic agent, i.e., 0.2% (w/w) Triclosan (2,4,4'-trichloro-2'-hydroxydiphenyl ether), has been monitored on 13 adult volunteers. Plaque and saliva were sampled monthly and the bacterial flora analyzed. Twenty-six volunteers used a placebo dentifrice as part of their normal oral hygiene for four months to establish the baseline microbial flora. The volunteers were then split into two equal groups One group continued to use the placebo dentifrice; the other used the dentifrice containing zinc citrate and Triclosan. There was no evidence that seven months' use of a dentifrice containing 0.5% zinc citrate and 0.2% Triclosan caused shifts in the oral microbial ecology, nor was there any evidence of developing bacterial resistance to Triclosan.