Effect of various herbal toothpastes in reducing the streptococcus mutants count

Aim & Objective: To investigate the effect of various herbal toothpaste in reducing the count of streptococcus mutants.

Background: Streptococcus mutans is a facultatively anaerobic, gram-positive coccus commonly found in the human oral cavity and is a significant contributor to tooth decay. Early colonizers of the tooth surface are mainly Neisseria spp. and streptococci, including S. mutans. The growth and metabolism of these pioneer species changes local environmental conditions. Thereby enabling more fastidious organisms to further colonize after them, forming dental plaque. The combination of plaque and acid leads to dental decay. Practice of good oral hygiene including daily brushing, flossing and the use of appropriate mouthwash can significantly reduce the number of oral bacteria, including S. mutans and inhibit their proliferation. The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of various herbal toothpaste in reducing the count of streptococcus mutants by invitro method.

Materials and method: Five different commercially available herbal toothpastes were chosen as the samples. Culture was carried out using agar well diffusion method.Pure cultures of streptococcus mutants were obtained which was isolated using selective media Mutans - Sanguis agar.The zones of incubation were measured in mm diameter after the period of 24 hrs.

Result: Sample A with miswak extract has shown the highest zone of incubation measuring diameter of 39mm. Hence it is clear that, miswak extract in the toothpaste has a greater effect in reducing the mutants counts. It has the greater effect than the chlorexdine control.