08. A Comparison of the Efficacy of Four Brands of Mouthwash Antiseptics to Inhibit Bacterial Growth using Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus mitis.

Abstract

The goal of this study is to develop a standard method for comparing the efficacy and effectiveness of mouthwashes. Using antiseptic mouthwash daily is an effective defense against bacteria that can cause plaque, tooth decay, bad breath, and gingivitis. This research compared the efficacy of four commonly used brands of mouthwashes (A, B, C, and D, all in blue color) against proxies for oral bacteria in the form Streptococcus mitis and Staphylococcus aureus. Aseptic techniques were used to inoculate S. aureus and S. mitis on a variety of media. Six-millimeter filter paper discs reproducibly dipped in each of the 4 mouthwash antiseptics were used to assess the efficacy of each mouthwash in inhibiting the growth of the selected microbes in triplicates. Our results indicated that Mouthwash C displayed the most efficacious bactericidal/bacteriostatic properties. This specific mouthwash resulted in a larger average diameter of inhibition zone around the paper discs. Mouthwashes A and B were comparably efficacious whereas Mouthwash D (a very popular brand) surprisingly performed dismally and produced literally no zone of inhibition in each trial. Future work will compare and contrast the ingredients of these mouthwashes to determine if there is a primarily efficacious agent or combination thereof. Further studies will be conducted on the antiseptic mouthwashes to determine the most effective ingredients and whether they are bactericidal or bacteriostatic.