Antimicrobial efficacy of commercially available dentifrices against newly isolated Streptococcus mutans

Background: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the anticariogenic activities of commercially available dentifrices such as, toothpastes and mouthwashes against the most prominent cariogenic bacteria S. mutans. Methods: Agar well diffusion method was employed to investigate the antibacterial activity against newly isolated clinical strains. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 20 and one-way ANOVA and student t-test were used to compare the zone of inhibition. Results: We found that most of the commercially available dentifrices have antibacterial activity against S. mutans clinical isolates. We also found that fluoride and triclosan containing toothpaste has comparatively higher antibacterial effect than others. In addition, we observed that mouthwashes have relatively lower antibacterial activity than the toothpastes. Conclusions: In sum, our study indicated that sodium fluoride and triclosan containing toothpastes can be effectively used to maintain a good oral hygiene to prevent dental caries and other related diseases.