Anticalculus efficacy of an antiseptic mouthrinse containing zinc chloride.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

The authors undertook a controlled clinical study to determine the efficacy of a tartar-control antiseptic mouthrinse in inhibiting the development of supragingival dental calculus.

METHODS:

After undergoing a dental prophylaxis, 334 subjects with a moderate rate of calculus formation were stratified and randomly assigned to one of three groups: positive control (using a tartar-control toothpaste and an antiseptic rinse), negative control (using a regular toothpaste and an antiseptic mouthrinse) or experimental (using a regular dentifrice and a tartar-control mouthrinse). Subjects brushed and rinsed twice daily, unsupervised, for four months. The researchers assessed subjects' calculus levels using the Volpe-Manhold Index, or VMI, after 16 weeks.

RESULTS:

Using analysis of covariance, the authors found that both the experimental group (which used a tartar-control rinse containing zinc chloride) and the positive control group (which used a tartar-control dentifrice containing pyrophosphate) demonstrated statistically significantly lower VMI scores (P = .001) than the negative control group (which used a regular dentifrice and an antiseptic rinse). Both anticalculus agents provided a clinically relevant 21 percent reduction in calculus formation.

CONCLUSION:

An antiseptic mouthrinse containing 0.09 percent zinc chloride as the anticalculus agent provides a clinically relevant reduction in calculus formation in people with a moderate rate of such formation.

CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS:

A tartar-control mouthrinse with zinc chloride as the tartar-control ingredient is clinically effective in reducing the formation of calculus.

• Authors: C H Charles, M J Cronin, N J Conforti, W Z Dembling, D M Petrone, J A McGuire
• Journal: Journal of the American Dental Association (1939) (J Am Dent Assoc) Vol. 132 Issue 1 Pg. 94-8 (Jan 2001) ISSN: 0002-8177 [Print] United States
• PMID: 11194406 (Publication Type: Clinical Trial, Journal Article, Multicenter Study, Randomized Controlled Trial, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Chlorides
• Drug Combinations
• Mouthwashes
• Organic Chemicals
• Salicylates
• Terpenes
• Zinc Compounds
• tartar control listerine
• Listerine
• zinc chloride

Topics

• Adolescent
• Adult
• Aged
• Analysis of Variance
• Chi-Square Distribution
• Chlorides (therapeutic use)
• Dental Calculus (prevention & control)
• Double-Blind Method
• Drug Combinations
• Female
• Humans
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Mouthwashes (therapeutic use)
• Odds Ratio
• Oral Hygiene Index
• Organic Chemicals
• Salicylates (therapeutic use)
• Terpenes (therapeutic use)
• Treatment Outcome
• Zinc Compounds (therapeutic use)