The Effect of Commercially Available Local Brand of Toothpastes against Oral Bacteria

The objective of the study was to find the antimicrobial effect of local brands of toothpastes containing different active ingredients, against aerobic and anaerobic oral flora and Streptococcus mutans; the causative agent of dental caries and dental plaque. The efficacy of eight locally formulated dentifrices was checked against aerobic and anaerobic oral bacteria of 30 subjects. Sterilized swabs were applied on the subject's teeth and inhibitory zones against these bacteria were measured by agar diffusion method. The magnitude and duration of Streptococcus mutans percentage reduction was evaluated against 1:100 and 1:1000 w / v dilutions of six dentifrices containing different active ingredients. The Streptococcus mutans were treated with selected dentifrices for 0,5,10,15,30,60 and 120 minutes. The CFU was done using spread plate method. Triclosan containing toothpastes showed maximum inhibitory zones against aerobic and anaerobic oral bacteria followed by fluoridated, whitening and herbal dentifrices. The maximum percentage reduction of S. mutans was shown by triclosan containing toothpastes followed by fluoridated and herbal dentifrices. All dentifrices showed antibacterial activity against aerobic and anaerobic oral bacteria, maximum being that of triclosan containing toothpastes. The longest and largest reduction of S. mutans was shown by triclosan containing dentifrices.