A study into the plaque-inhibitory activity of experimental toothpaste formulations containing antimicrobial agents.

What Was Tested

This randomized controlled trial looks at Toothpastes and Triclosan.

There would also appear to be some value in formulating products that contain combinations of such agents that may potentiate any activity present.

Who Took Part

The study group was 24 volunteers.

By PubMed's age tags, the people studied were adults, both men and women.

Following an initial prophylaxis to remove all plaque and calculus, toothpaste slurry rinses were used over a 96 h period by 24 volunteers, while omitting all other oral hygiene procedures.

How the Study Was Run

In design terms this was a randomized, double-blind and crossover study.

The volunteers were allocated by chance, so the Toothpastes group and the comparison group should start out alike.

As a double-blind Toothpastes study, the assignments were hidden from both participants and investigators until the end.

Each person switched between Toothpastes and the comparison at some point, usually with a gap in between.

After 24, 48 and 96 h, plaque was measured by plaque area and by plaque index.

For comparative purposes, a conventional commercial fluoride toothpaste rinse was also used as a benchmark control in this triple cross-over double-blind study.

What Was Measured

PubMed files the paper under topics including Analysis of Variance, Anti-Infective Agents, Local, Chlorophenols, Dental Plaque, Dental Plaque Index, Toothpastes and Triclosan.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized, double-blind and crossover study of Toothpastes and Triclosan in 24 volunteers.

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.

Its findings take up roughly 5 sentences of the abstract and are left out here on purpose; the source paper is the place to read them.

The publication is from 2005 (Journal of clinical periodontology), a journal based in United States.

More context: all human trials.