Antibacterial Activity of Freshly Prepared Ozonated Water and Chlorhexidine on Mutans Streptococcus When Used as an Oral Rinse - A Randomised Clinical Study.

INTRODUCTION: Dental caries is one of the most common causes of morbidity of the tooth. Attempts have been made to reduce the pathogen population size i.e., Mutans Streptococci (MS) to demote the incidence of caries and increase the resistance of the tooth to cariogenic attack. AIM: To evaluate the antibacterial efficacy of freshly prepared ozonated water, in proposing it as an alternative mouth rinse on MS in comparison to Chlorhexidine (CHX). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Subjects with high caries incidence and MS counts more than 105 Colony Forming Unit (CFU) were selected and divided by block randomization into two groups of 23 subjects each. The subjects were advised to use the respective mouth rinses under the operator surveillance, consecutively for 14 days. Stimulated salivary samples were collected from the subjects on the first day, 7th and 14th day to analyse the changes in MS counts during the course of use of oral rinses. The obtained data was tabulated and statistically analysed. RESULTS: Freshly prepared ozonated water showed a statistically significant reduction in MS counts after an interval of 7 days and 14 days when compared to CHX. CONCLUSION: Ozonated water when consecutively used as a mouth rinse resulted in a significant reduction of MS counts. Hence, it can be used as an alternative to chlorhexidine.