Efficacy of different brands of mouth rinses on oral bacterial load count in healthy adults

Abstract

The aim of this study was to assess the antibacterial properties of 3 commercial mouthwashes containing either cetylpridinium chloride (CPC; Macleans), phenolic compound (Colgate Plax) or glycerin/triclosan (Listerine). Forty-five healthy adults (30 men and 15 women, aged 20-24 years) from Ibadan, Nigeria were included in the study, and they were divided into 3 mouthwash groups. Their saliva samples were assessed for microbial counts at the beginning and at the end of an 8-week period, during which they rinsed with 10 ml of mouthwash for 15 seconds twice daily (morning and evening) in addition to their usual oral hygiene procedures. The common oral microorganisms identified at baseline were Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, Streptococcus mutans, Helicobacter pylori, Actinomyces viscosus, Candida albicans, and Porphyromonas gingivalis. There was a slight increase in salivary pH and flow rate at the end of the trial, while a significant reduction in microbial counts was observed. The CPC mouthwash significantly reduced oral microbial count (P<0.05) better than the other 2 commercial mouthwashes. It is concluded that twice daily use of a CPC-containing mouthwash can reduce oral microbial load counts in healthy subjects when used as an adjunct to their normal oral hygiene procedures.