The effect on plaque removal and
gingivitis of using a pre-brush rinse containing 0.03 per cent
triclosan (Irgacare MP, Ciba-Geigy Corp.) and 0.125 per cent of a copolymer of polyvinylmethyl
ether and
maleic acid over a six-month period, versus using a matching placebo pre-brush rinse, was assessed in this clinical study. Subjects were instructed to rinse their mouths for one minute, twice daily (morning and evening), with 15 mL of their assigned pre-brush rinse. Immediately after rinsing, subjects brushed their teeth for 30 seconds using the
dentifrice and toothbrush supplied to them at the outset. Subjects were instructed to refrain from any other
oral hygiene procedures throughout the duration of the study. Plaque and
gingivitis examinations were conducted after three months and again after six months. At the conclusion of the study (six months), the
triclosan/copolymer pre-brush rinse demonstrated an advantage of 24.8 per cent for plaque removal and a 22.1 per cent reduction in
gingivitis, when compared to the matching placebo pre-brush rinse. These advantages in plaque removal and
gingivitis reduction were statistically significant. The six-month effect of the
triclosan/copolymer pre-brush rinse was even greater on "the more difficult to brush" surfaces of the teeth, as determined by the use of the Plaque Severity Index and the
Gingivitis Severity Index.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)