This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Cummins, D. Articles by Creeth, J.E. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Cummins, D. Articles by Creeth, J.E. Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Delivery of Antiplaque Agents from Dentifrices, Gels, and Mouthwashes

Unilever Dental Research, Port Sunlight Laboratory, Quarry Road East, Bebington, Wirral L63 3JW, England

J.E. Creeth

Unilever Dental Research, Port Sunlight Laboratory, Quarry Road East, Bebington, Wirral L63 3JW, England

Antiplaque agents delivered from toothpastes, gels, or mouthrinses can augment mechanical oral hygiene procedures to control the formation of supragingival plaque and the development of early periodontal disease. Clinically effective antiplaque agents are characterized by a combination of intrinsic antibacterial activity and good oral retention properties.

The overall oral retention of an antiplaque agent is determined by the strength and rate of association of the agent with its receptor sites and the accessibility of these sites. The substantivity of an antiplaque agent and its clearance from the oral cavity are determined by the rate of dissociation of the agent from the receptor sites and the salivary composition and flow rate. Positively charged and non-charged organic molecules, metal ions, enzymes, and surface-active agents have all been considered as antiplaque agents. To exert clinical antiplaque activity, an antimicrobial agent must be formulated in a chemically compatible delivery vehicle to give optimal release and uptake to the sites of action in a biologically active form during its time of application.

In principle, antiplaque activity may be enhanced by combining antimicrobial agents with broadly similar, but complementary, modes of action. Alternatively, the activity of a single agent may be increased by use of a retention aid to enhance oral substantivity. Substantial evidence exists to demonstrate the validity of the first approach. However, there are few data, as yet, to support the effectiveness of the second.

The oral mucosa is the bulk retention site for all clinically proven antiplaque agents. Plaque, the pellicle-coated tooth surface, and saliva are probably all sites of biological action. A detailed understanding of the interactions between agents and the various receptor sites, and of the importance of these receptor sites to biological activity, is generally lacking.

Journal of Dental Research, Vol. 71, No. 7, 1439-1449 (1992)
DOI: 10.1177/00220345920710071601


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				J. Pratten, P. Barnett, and M. Wilson Composition and Susceptibility to Chlorhexidine of Multispecies Biofilms of Oral Bacteria Appl. Envir. Microbiol., September 1, 1998; 64(9): 3515 - 3519. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				H. Marcotte and M. C. Lavoie Oral Microbial Ecology and the Role of Salivary Immunoglobulin A Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev., March 1, 1998; 62(1): 71 - 109. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R.G. Quivey JR and A.J. Smith Role of Models in Assessing New Agents for Caries Prevention-Non-Fluoride Systems: Reaction Paper Advances in Dental Research, November 1, 1995; 9(3): 312 - 314. [Abstract] [PDF]

				P.D. Marsh Microbiological Aspects of the Chemical Control of Plaque and Gingivitis Journal of Dental Research, July 1, 1992; 71(7): 1431 - 1438. [Abstract] [PDF]

				D. O'Mullane New Agents in the Chemical Control of Plaque and Gingivitis: Reaction Paper Journal of Dental Research, July 1, 1992; 71(7): 1455 - 1456. [PDF]