The caries preventive effect of a fluoride dentifrice containing Triclosan and zinc citrate, a compilation of in vitro and in situ studies.

A new generation of 'gun-health dentifrices' has recently become available. These products contain antimicrobial ingredients in addition to fluoride as the caries preventive component. Several experiments were performed to study the effects of the addition of antimicrobials. These included fluoride bioavailability tests, enamel lesion de- and remineralisation studies ('pH-cycling') and in situ caries studies. A comparison was made between a non-fluoride (negative) control dentifrice, a fluoride (positive) control dentifrice (1000 ppm F as sodium monofluorophosphate, MFP) and a test dentifrice containing 1000 ppm F (as MFP), 0.3 per cent Triclosan and 0.75 per cent zinc citrate trihydrate (ZCT). The results showed that the two fluoride pastes performed better in all tests than the negative control. No differences were observed between the two fluoride pastes in the in vitro studies. Under conditions of cariogenic challenge, in situ caries progression was inhibited by the fluoride test paste containing Triclosan and ZCT. This result was significantly different from that of the fluoride control paste, in which group an increase in lesion severity was observed.