The effect of a 2% zinc citrate, 0.3% Triclosan dentifrice on plaque acid production following consumption of a snackfood.

What Was Tested

The paper reports a study of Zinc and Triclosan, published as a randomized controlled trial.

Who Took Part

The abstract describes 10 subjects taking part.

The age groups tagged for this paper are teenagers, adults, middle-aged adults and older adults, both men and women.

A) 10 subjects completed the first study.

B) 30 subjects completed the second study.

How the Study Was Run

The design is described as randomized, single-blind and crossover.

Random assignment meant chance, not the researchers, decided who got Zinc and who got the comparison, which limits bias.

In this single-blind Zinc study one party knew the assignments and the other did not.

In the crossover set-up each of the subjects took both Zinc and the comparison in turn, acting as their own control.

Plaque samples taken before and at 8,15 and 30 minutes after eating.

Samples were analysed for lactate via Capillary Electrophoresis.

Plaque samples were taken before and after cake and use of test dentifrice or no treatment control.

Plaque pH and lactate content were assessed.

What Was Measured

The subject headings attached to it are Anti-Infective Agents, Local, Cacao, Candy, Cariostatic Agents, Citric Acid, Coffee and Dental Plaque.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized, single-blind and crossover study of Zinc and Triclosan in 10 subjects.

With fewer than 40 people, it is a small study, so it is better read as an early signal for further research than as a settled answer.

The abstract goes on to report its results in about 4 sentences; this page does not restate them, so read the paper for the findings and their limits.

The publication is from 2003 (International dental journal), a journal based in England.

More context: the related Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc library page, all human trials.