Community-level assessment of dental plaque bacteria susceptibility to triclosan over 19 years

Abstract

BackgroundTriclosan is a broad-spectrum antimicrobial agent used in toothpaste to reduce dental plaque, gingivitis and oral malodor. This community-level assessment evaluated the susceptibility of dental plaque bacteria to triclosan in samples collected over 19 years.MethodsA total of 155 dental plaque samples were collected at eleven different times over 19 years from 58 adults using 0.3% triclosan, 2% copolymer, 0.243% sodium fluoride toothpaste and from 97 adults using toothpaste without triclosan. These included samples from 21 subjects who used triclosan toothpaste for at least five years and samples from 20 control subjects. The samples were cultured on media containing 0, 7.5 or 25 μg/ml triclosan. Descriptive statistics and p values were computed and a linear regression model and the runs test were used to examine susceptibility over time.ResultsGrowth inhibition averaged 99.451% (91.209 - 99.830%) on media containing 7.5 μg/ml triclosan and 99.989% (99.670 - 100%) on media containing 25 μg/ml triclosan. There was no change in microbial susceptibility to triclosan over time discernible by regression analysis or the runs test in plaque samples taken over 19 years including samples from subjects using a triclosan-containing dentifrice for at least five years.ConclusionsThis community-level assessment of microbial susceptibility to triclosan among supragingival plaque bacteria is consistent with the long-term safety of a 0.3% triclosan, 2% copolymer, 0.243% sodium fluoride dentifrice.

Utilización del Colutorio de Aloe Vera en el Control de la Gingivitis en Pacientes Adultos: Un Estudio Preliminar

“…Si bien el cepillado es el método más eficaz para el control de la placa (Axelsson et al, 1991), la evidencia señala que la utilización de coayudantes como los colutorios colabora significativamente en la reducción de la placa bacteriana en población juvenil (Haraszthy et al, 2014). Entre los componentes utilizados en colutorios comercializados se encuentra el alcohol, triclosán y la clorhexidina (Pereira et al, 2014) entre otros que pueden generar efectos no deseados en el tratamiento, tales como la alteración del sabor, manchas en los dientes (Salgado et al, 2006) o cálculos supragingivales (Aspalli et al) afectando funcional y estéticamente a los pacientes.…”

Improving periodontal outcomes: merging clinical and behavioral science

“…In 2014, Haraszthy et al. reported on a study of 155 dental plaque samples that were collected at 11 different times over 19 years. Fifty‐eight of the 155 subjects from whom the plaque samples had been collected had used triclosan toothpaste for at least 5 years, whilst 97 had used a toothpaste that did not contain triclosan.…”

Triclosan antimicrobial polymers

“…But, clinical relevance in multiple studies for bacterial resistance has not been demonstrated for about 50 years of long-term repeated use of triclosan [ 2 , 3 , 49 – 52 ]. In one individual long-term clinical study there was no alteration in oral antimicrobial resistance from patients using 0.3% triclosan with the copolymer PVM/MA for at least 5 years [ 53 , 54 ]. Several government reports from large groups of authorities in the field have determined that although cross-resistance to antimicrobials or antibiotics can be demonstrated under artificial laboratory conditions, the development of resistance in natural or clinical environments with complex multiple bacterial species was not an equivalent condition for the use of triclosan [ 2 , 3 , 49 ].…”