Colgate Total® has been the trusted choice for healthy teeth and gums for more than 20 years. Worldwide, it’s the brand recommended most by dentists 
 
 Colgate Total® toothpaste is uniquely formulated with 0.3% of the antibacterial ingredient triclosan to fight harmful plaque germs, which are the cause of most common oral health problems. 
 
 There are more published, peer-reviewed clinical studies of Colgate Total ® than of any other toothpaste in the world. The efficacy and safety of Colgate Total® is supported by more than 90 clinical studies, involving over 20,000 people, and a broad set of safety evaluations. Our research has been shared with regulatory agencies around the world who have accepted triclosan’s safe and effective use in toothpaste. 
 
 Colgate Total® is clinically proven to work better than other toothpastes in reducing the germs that can cause gum disease. It is clinically proven to provide 12-hour protection against plaque germs that can lead to gingivitis, an early form of gum disease. Over 75% of American adults suffer from gingivitis. Plaque and gingivitis, if unchecked, can progress to periodontitis, a more serious and damaging stage of infection that can result in tooth and bone loss. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, almost half of American adults age 30 and over have serious periodontal disease. 
 
 Brushing with regular fluoride toothpaste does not provide the antibacterial protection of Colgate Total® toothpaste. On the US FDA’s website, updated as of September 2, 2016, the FDA states as follows regarding Colgate Total® toothpaste: "For some consumer products, there is evidence that triclosan provides a benefit." The FDA notes that it has “reviewed extensive effectiveness data on triclosan in Colgate Total toothpaste" and that the "evidence showed that triclosan in that product was effective in preventing gingivitis." 
 
 Additionally, only Colgate Total® toothpaste provides both antibacterial protection and direct anti-inflammatory action, which is notable given the importance of good oral health and the emerging scientific research associating oral health with overall health. 
 
 A thorough independent review was conducted and published by the Cochrane Oral Health Group on the oral health benefits of triclosan/copolymer, the active antibacterial system in Colgate Total® toothpaste. The Cochrane Review evaluated 30 studies dating from 1990 to 2012 and involving 14,835 participants (Riley & Lamont 2013). The resulting data highlighted the many clinical benefits of using a fluoride toothpaste containing triclosan/copolymer and concluded there was no evidence of any harmful effects associated with the use of triclosan/copolymer toothpastes in studies up to three years in duration. Among other things, the Cochrane Review found that after six or more months of use, fluoride toothpaste containing triclosan/copolymer provided: 
 
 22% reduction in plaque and gingivitis as compared with traditional fluoride toothpaste 
 
 22% reduction in plaque and gingivitis as compared with traditional fluoride toothpaste 41% reduction in plaque severity as compared with traditional fluoride toothpaste 
 
 41% reduction in plaque severity as compared with traditional fluoride toothpaste 48% reduction in gum bleeding as compared with traditional fluoride toothpaste 
 
 View the full text of the Cochrane Review 
 
 More questions about Colgate Total®? Ask Here 
 
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 Say goodbye to those “antibacterial” soaps. The Food and Drug Administration says they do little or nothing to make soap work any better and said the industry has failed to prove they’re safe. 
 
 Companies will have a year to take the ingredients out of the products, the FDA said. They include triclosan and triclocarban. Soap manufacturers will have an extra year to negotiate over other, less commonly used ingredients such as benzalkonium chloride. 
 
 “Companies will no longer be able to market antibacterial washes with these ingredients because manufacturers did not demonstrate that the ingredients are both safe for long-term daily use and more effective than plain soap and water in preventing illness and the spread of certain infections,” the FDA said in a statement. 
 
 “Some manufacturers have already started removing these ingredients from their products.” 
 
 Triclosan used in 93 percent of liquid products labeled "antibacterial" or "antimicrobial” – at least 2,000 different products, according to the FDA. 
 
 “Consumers may think antibacterial washes are more effective at preventing the spread of germs, but we have no scientific evidence that they are any better than plain soap and water." 
 
 In 2013 FDA gave soapmakers a year to show that adding antibacterial chemicals did anything at all to help them kill germs. It made the rule final Friday. 
 
 Related: Think Twice About Antibacterial Soap, FDA Says 
 
 “Consumers may think antibacterial washes are more effective at preventing the spread of germs, but we have no scientific evidence that they are any better than plain soap and water,” said Dr. Janet Woodcock, director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. 
 
 “In fact, some data suggests that antibacterial ingredients may do more harm than good over the long-term.” 
 
 The FDA started asking about triclosan in 1978. Environmental groups and some members of Congress have been calling for limits on the use of triclosan. The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) sued and the FDA agreed to do something about triclosan by 2016. 
 
 There’s no proof yet that triclosan is dangerous to people, but some animal studies suggest high doses can affect the way hormones work in the body. 
 
 “Some manufacturers have already started removing these ingredients from their products.” 
 
 The proposed rule only affects hand soaps and body washes. Triclosan is often used in toothpaste and it's been shown to help kill germs that cause gum disease. 
 
 “In response to comments submitted by industry, the FDA has deferred rulemaking for one year on three additional ingredients used in consumer wash products – benzalkonium chloride, benzethonium chloride and chloroxylenol (PCMX) – to allow for the development and submission of new safety and effectiveness data for these ingredients,” the FDA added. 
 
 “Consumer antibacterial washes containing these specific ingredients may be marketed during this time while data are being collected.” 
 
 The American Cleaning Institute said it had given up on fighting over triclosan and would focus on the other ingredients still under consideration. 
 
 “It is important to note that this FDA rule does not affect consumer hand sanitizers, antiseptic products used in healthcare settings, and antiseptics used in food handler settings," it said in a statement. 
 
 “The FDA already has in its hands data that shows the safety and effectiveness of antibacterial soaps. Manufacturers are continuing their work to provide even more science and research to fill data gaps identified by FDA." 
 
 Related: How to Protect Yourself From the Flu? Wash Your Hands 
 
 The FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention agree that soap doesn’t need added antiseptics to make it work any better. 
 
 Gabriele Ritz / EyeEm / Getty Images/EyeEm 
 
 “Washing with plain soap and running water remains one of the most important steps consumers can take to avoid getting sick and to prevent spreading germs to others,” the FDA said. 
 
 “If soap and water are not available and a consumer uses hand sanitizer instead, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that it be an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol.” 
 
 Triclosan breaks open the cell walls of bacteria, killing them. But it takes several hours to do this, so it does little good in the time it takes to wash and dry hands. 
 
 The FDA is also reviewing hand sanitizers and products used by hospitals.
– The FDA last week banned the use of a chemical from soap, but not from the nation’s top-selling toothpaste. Why? The New York Times reports it was because Colgate-Palmolive convinced the FDA that the benefits of triclosan are greater than the risks. Toothpaste containing the chemical "demonstrated to be effective at reducing plaque and gingivitis," an FDA spokeswoman said. The decision came after the agency announced that there was not enough evidence to prove that antibacterial soap containing triclosan was any better "at preventing illness than washing with plain soap and water." Worse, long-term use of the soap, the agency said in a statement, "has raised the question of potential negative effects on your health." Scientists have long raised concerns that prolonged exposure to germ-fighters could result in strains of resistant bacteria. The only toothpaste in the US that contains triclosan Colgate Total, the Times reports. Colgate-Palmolive insists that rigorous testing has shown the toothpaste is safe. "The full weight of scientific evidence amassed over 25 years continues to support the safety and efficacy of Colgate Total," spokesman Mike DiPiazza told the paper. But critics questioned the FDA’s logic. "We put soap on our hands, and a small amount gets into our body," said Rolf Halden, an expert at Arizona State University who has studied triclosan. He said that with exposure through the gums "chemicals get rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream." (The feds have also targeted fluoride.)