With an increasing number of toothpaste to choose from, recommending an appropriate dentifrice for patients can be difficult. Flouride containing toothpaste has been the primary choice of the most dental offices. With cosmetic dentistry our goal is to make sure that the smile makeover lasts for a long time. In the early 1990s, the Colgate-Palmolive Company introduced a new dentfrice called Colgate Total toothpaste. It contains 0.3% triclosan, 2.0% polyvinyl methyl ether maleic acid copolymer and 0.243% sodium fluoride in a silica base. Triclosan is a broad spectrum antibacterial agent with antiinflammatory properties. The addition of copolymer to the formulation is to increase the uptake and retention of the triclosan. The reviewed studies both statistically and clincally that Colgate Total toothpaste demonstrates significant reductions in plaque, gingivitis, periodontal pocketting , calculus, and malodor with the use of triclosan containing dentifrice.
Source: Compendium. April 2007; 28 (4): 178-183
