Triclosan-containing toothpastes reduce plaque and gingivitis.

DATA SOURCES

Sources of studies were the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register, Medline and Embase. Personal files and the reference lists of all articles were checked for further studies.

STUDY SELECTION

Trials were selected if they met the following criteria: there had been random allocation of participants; participants were adults with plaque and gingivitis; there was unsupervised use of dentifrices for at least 6 months; and primary outcomes were plaque and gingivitis after 6 months.

DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS

Data were extracted by two reviewers independently. For each plaque and gingivitis index, the mean differences for each study were pooled as weighted mean differences (WMD) with the appropriate 95% confidence intervals (CI) using the random effects model.

RESULTS

Sixteen trials provided data for the meta-analysis. The triclosan/copolymer dentifrice significantly improved plaque control compared with a fluoride dentifrice, with a WMD of -0.48 (95% CI, -0.64 to -0.32) for the Quigley-Hein index and WMD of-0.15 (95% CI,-0.20 to -0.09) for the plaque severity index. When compared with a fluoride dentifrice, the triclosan/copolymer dentifrice significantly reduced gingivitis with WMD of -0.26 (95% CI, -0.34 to -0.18) and -0.12 (95% CI, -0.17 to -0.08) for the Loe and Silness index and for gingivitis.

CONCLUSIONS

This systematic review indicates that a dentifrice that contains triclosan/copolymer provides a more effective level of plaque control and periodontal health than a conventional fluoride dentifrice.