Evaluation of antimicrobial efficacy of chlorhexidine, listerine, and herbal mouthwashes in decontamination of toothbrushes-an invitro study

Abstract

Toothbrushing and toothbrushes play an important role in oral hygiene. Disinfection, storage and changing of toothbrushes at regular intervals are essential. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the invitro efficacy of Chlorhexidine, Listerine® and herbal mouthwash (Himalaya Oro-T™ ) against microorganisms as toothbrush disinfectants. A total of 20 participants were recruited. Brand new identical toothbrushes were given to each participant and they were asked to brush their teeth twice daily. They were instructed to use tap water to rinse the used toothbrushes. The toothbrushes were collected after a week. The bristles of each toothbrush were cut and kept in separate vials containing transport media. Then, they were sent for microbiological evaluation. The number of colony-forming units were measured. The vials containing bristles were divided into four groups, each group containing 5 vials: Group I: Chlorhexidine mouthwash; Group II: Listerine mouthwash; Group III: Herbal mouthwash; Group IV: Distilled water. The bristles were immersed in test-tube containing respective mouthwashes for one hour. And, colony-forming units were measured. In all three test groups, there was a significant difference in the reduction of microbes after sanitization with mouthwashes. The highest reduction was seen in group I and the least reduction was group IV. Disinfection of toothbrush may prevent the occurrence of oral infections. Chlorhexidine mouthwash was found to be more effective than other mouthwashes as a disinfecting agent in reducing the microbial load.