SKIN REACTIONS AND IRRITATION POTENTIAL OF 4 COMMERCIAL TOOTHPASTES

Skin reactions to 4 toothpastes were tested in 19 healthy dental stude nts in a double-blind study. The hypothesis was that common toothpaste brands with and without sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and triclosan and with different additives/emulgators differ in irritation potential. A n occlusion test system on human skin was used. The toothpastes tested were A) Zendium (non-ionic detergent), B) Solider F (SLS/polyethylene glycol), C) Colgate Total (triclosan/copolymer/SLS/propylene glycol), and D) Solider G (triclosan/zinc citrate/SLS/polyethylene glycol). To othpaste C was the greatest irritant, causing skin erythema in 16 of t he 19 subjects, whereas toothpaste D gave no reactions. Toothpaste B p rovoked three reactions (two severe), whereas toothpaste A caused only one mild reaction. Although this study was carried out on skin and he nce not directly applicable to the oral cavity, these and previous res ults may indicate that a toothpaste without propylene glycol and SLS m ay be preferred by susceptible persons.