Effects of zinc chloride mouthwash on plaque and zinc levels of surface enamel
Gedalia, I.; Brayer, L.; Tiberiu, A.; Goultschin, J.; Psanti, S.
Clinical Preventive Dentistry 10(4): 3-5
1988
ISSN/ISBN: 0163-9633 PMID: 3267495 Document Number: 324665
The inhibitory effect of ZNCl2 mouth rinses on dental plaque accumulation human teeth and the effect on the concentration of zinc in the surface enamel was investigated. Twelve male dental students participated in the trial. Rinsings with 0.1% ZNCl2 were carried out daily for 5 days. Plaque indices were examined on the rinisngs days and continued for ten days after last rinsing by the plaque area system of Turesky et al.1 Enamel biopsies were taken by means of an acid-etch procedure, which removed a layer thickness of about 2 .mu.m to be analysed for zinc concentration by atomic absorption. Plaque indices were reduced during the initial and post-experimental period of 15 days. No significant differences in the zinc levels were evident during the whole, pre-, and post-experimental period. The low zinc values suggested that the biopsies did not simply detect surface enamel zinc. A log term release from dental plaque and/or oral mucosa acting as zinc depot might have been the explanation of the delayed antiplaque effect.