THE EFFECT OF MOUTHRINSES CONTAINING ZINC AND TRICLOSAN ON PLAQUE ACCUMULATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF GINGIVITIS IN A 3-WEEK CLINICAL-TEST

Experimental mouthrinses containing 0.4% zinc sulphate and 0.15% tricl osan were compared with a chlorhexidine and a negative control mouthri nse in a 3-week clinical trial. The zinc/triclosan mouthrinses 1 and 2 differed in their ethanol and humectant contents used to deliver the triclosan. The experimental protocol employed the partial mouth gingiv itis design, whereby participants wear a toothshield during toothbrush ing. Gingival health at baseline was established by professional clean ing, oral hygiene instruction and effective toothbrushing 3 x per day during a pre-experimental period of 2 weeks. The mouthrinses were subs equently used 2 x daily following normal toothbrushing during 3 weeks. The pre-experimental oral hygiene phase very effectively reduced plaq ue levels and gingival bleeding. During the rinsing period, in the abs ence of mechanical removal of plaque from the protected teeth, gingiva l bleeding rose to above the prestudy level in the negative control gr oup. The increments (change from baseline to 21 days) of plaque and bl eeding scores for the zinc/triclosan mouthrinse 1 were significantly l ower than those in the negative control group. As expected, plaque and gingivitis scores were lowest in the group that rinsed with chlorhexi dine. The results extend previous observations on the efficacy of the zinc/triclosan system to maintain gingival health.