Effect of a dentifrice containing triclosan and a copolymer on plaque formation: a 6-week clinical study

A 6-week, double-blind, clinical study was conducted to determine the effect on plaque formation of a dentifrice containing 0.3% triclosan and 2% of a copolymer of methoxyethylene and maleic acid as compared to a placebo dentifrice. Ninety-one male and female adult subjects with baseline Quigley-Hein Plaque Index scores of 1.5 or greater were entered into the study. Eighty-six subjects completed the entire 6 weeks of the study. Subjects were initially stratified into two balanced groups using their baseline Plaque Index score and each group was then randomly assigned to the use of one of the two test dentifrices. All subjects received an oral prophylaxis at the start of the study. Subjects were given either the triclosan/copolymer dentifrice or the placebo dentifrice and a soft-bristled toothbrush for home use and were instructed to brush their teeth twice daily (morning and evening) for 1 minute at each toothbrushing. At the end of the 2, 4 and 6 weeks' use of their assigned dentifrice, the subjects had their teeth evaluated for plaque formation. The results indicated that the group assigned to the triclosan/copolymer dentifrice had 11.89%, 11.83% and 20.01% less plaque formation after 2, 4 and 6 weeks' use of the dentifrices, respectively, than the group assigned to the placebo dentifrice. All reductions in plaque formation were statistically significant at the 97% level of confidence or greater. The effect was more pronounced on the tooth surfaces that had the heaviest plaque formation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)