Anticariogenic efficacy of Indian Costus mouthwash in children

Abstract

Introduction

Herbal mouthwashes have become more popular in recent years as a countermeasure to the side effects of conventional mouthwashes. The aim of this study was to investigate the anti-bacterial effect of different concentrations of newly formulated Indian Costus mouthwash against Streptococcus mutans bacteria (S. mutans).

Methods

A total of 75 children (6–13 years old) were randomly divided into five groups (n = 15) according to the type and concentration of the mouthwash as follows: group 1: negative control, tap water; group 2: positive control, chlorhexidine; group 3: 5% Indian Costus; group 4: 10% Indian Costus; group 5: 15% Indian Costus. Patients were instructed to rinse with 5 ml of the given mouthwash twice per day for 1 week. Non-stimulated saliva sample was collected before (baseline) and after 1 week of using the mouthwash. Microbiological examination was performed to assess S. mutans count in all samples. One-way ANOVA followed by Tukey post hoc test were used for statistical analysis and the significance level was set at P ≤ 0.05.

Results

Statistically significant differences were detected between baseline and post-rinse counts in all groups except for the negative control samples. The highest mean percentage of bacterial reduction was detected in group 5 (Costus 15%), whereas the lowest mean percentage of bacterial reduction was seen in group 1 (negative control, tap water).

Conclusions

This study offers preliminary evidence supporting the significant antimicrobial efficacy of Indian Costus extract mouthwash against S. mutans, a key biofilm-forming bacterium in the oral cavity.