Year : 2018

Volume : Volume 9

Issue : Issue 3s

Address for correspondence :
Dr. Vaibhav Patni
vaibhavpatni@gmail.com

Abstract

Background:  Dental caries and periodontal disease are complex multifactorial diseases with dental plaque as their primary cause. Gram-positive bacteria such as Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus sobrinus, Lactobacillus species and some nonmutans streptococci are closely associated with caries formation.  The aim of this study was to identify a herbal ingredient that could be incorporated in oral topical cleansing aids and perform the action of caries prevention. Materials & methods: The present study consisted of two phases; Phase 1: In vitro experiment carried out to calculate the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of garlic and nutmeg extract, Phase 2: In vitro experiment carried out to test the antimicrobial property of prepared garlic and nutmeg mouth wash against test microorganism. The antimicrobial activity of garlic and nutmeg extract were determined against oral pathogens by cup plate diffusion method. The data generated during the study was processed using various statistical tests. Results: The low MIC and MBC value indicate that extract has strong antibacterial activity. The results revealed that hydroethanolic extract of garlic showed MIC of 4mg/ml and MBC of 8mg/ml against Streptococcus mutans and MIC of 0.125 and MBC of 0.25mg/ml against Candida albicans. For Streptococcus mutans, statistically significant difference was found among garlic and nutmeg group, garlic and chlorhexidine group, garlic and negative control group, nutmeg and negative control group, chlorhexidine and negative control group, and no statistically significant difference was found between nutmeg and chlorhexidine group.  Conclusion: Garlic mouthwash has shown better antimicrobial properties as compared to nutmeg and chlorhexidine mouthwash and can be considered as safe and effective alternatives to chlorhexidine for plaque control and thereby prevention of dental caries.

Keywords: Antimicrobial, Garlic mouthwash, Streptococcus mutans.