Anticalculus efficacy of an antiseptic mouthrinse containing zinc chloride.
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.


CONCLUSIONS
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.


CONCLUSIONS
A tartar-control mouthrinse with zinc chloride as the tartar-control ingredient is clinically effective in reducing the formation of calculus.
Charles
C H
CH
Oral Care, Warner-Lambert Company, 170 Tabor Road, Morris Plains, N.J. 07950, USA. Chris.Charles@pfizer.com
Cronin
M J
MJ
Conforti
N J
NJ
Dembling
W Z
WZ
Petrone
D M
DM
McGuire
J A
JA
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002712:Chlorides / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003728:Dental Calculus / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004338:Drug Combinations; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009067:Mouthwashes / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D009911:Oral Hygiene Index; D009930:Organic Chemicals; D012459:Salicylates / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013729:Terpenes / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D017967:Zinc Compounds / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D002712:Chlorides; D004338:Drug Combinations; D009067:Mouthwashes; D009930:Organic Chemicals; D012459:Salicylates; D013729:Terpenes; D017967:Zinc Compounds; C419443:tartar control listerine; C057473:Listerine; C016837:zinc chloride