Recent advances in plaque, gingivitis, tartar and caries prevention technology.

A dentifrice containing triclosan/PVM/MA, copolymer/NaF (Total) combination was compared with dentifrices containing triclosan without the copolymer system. A variety of laboratory, animal and human studies indicated that Total provided higher uptake and retention of triclosan on teeth, and was more effective in reducing plaque in chemostat and flow cell models. The retention of triclosan in dental plaque was significantly higher with Total as compared with other dentifrices 2 hours post brushing. The triclosan retained in the plaque after using Total was effective against plaque bacteria for up to 12 hours. Other dentifrices did not provide a sustained antibacterial effect against plaque. The results indicated that the delivery system with the copolymer significantly enhanced the efficacy of triclosan against plaque, gingivitis and plaque related diseases in vivo.