Evaluation of the Effect of Zinc Citrate Trihydrate Toothpaste on the Oral Plaque Microbiome

This study is of a double-blind, randomised, parallel group study. Subjects will be enrolled onto the study according to the inclusion/exclusion criteria. After recruitment, subjects will be given a fluoride toothpaste without gum care agents to use for the 4-week run-in period prior to the commencement of the test phase of the study. Following the run-in period, baseline supragingival plaque samples will be collected 12 hours after last brushing, from the upper and lower jaws separately. Subjects will then then randomly allocated to one of two products (zinc citrate trihydrate \[ZCT\] toothpaste or control toothpaste) according to the randomization. Subjects will be instructed to use the toothpaste at home, brushing twice a day for 12-weeks. Supragingival plaque samples will be collected again from the upper and lower jaws after 2, 6 and 12 weeks. Plaque samples will then undergo metataxonomic and metatranscriptomic analyses.