RESUMO
OBJECTIVES: These studies aimed to assess the short-term (12-hour, single use) and long-term (four weeks, continuous use) efficacy of a new Dual Zinc plus Arginine dentifrice against intra-oral halitosis versus a negative control. METHODS: Two clinical studies were conducted to assess the dentifrice: a four-week, continuous use parallel design versus a negative control and a single use crossover design versus a negative control. Both studies used organoleptic and hedonic odor judge scores measured 12 hours overnight after product use as the primary efficacy variable. Additionally, the single use study employed SIFT-MS to quantify the intra-oral concentration of volatile sulfur compounds as a complementary measure of efficacy. RESULTS: In both studies, the Dual Zinc plus Arginine dentifrice provided statistically significant improvements in breath quality across all measures versus a negative control. CONCLUSIONS: Improvements in breath quality were attributed to the effects of zinc cations delivered by the uniquely formulated dentifrice.