Enhancing the Antimicrobial Effect of Ozone with Mentha piperita Essential Oil.

This study aimed to obtain and analyse Mentha piperita essential oil (MpEO) for the prospect of being used as an enhancement agent for the antimicrobial potential of ozone against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria and fungi. The research was done for different exposure times, and it gained time-dose relationships and time-effect correlations. Mentha piperita (Mp) essential oil (MpEO) was obtained via hydrodistillation and further analysed by using GC-MS. The broth microdilution assay was used to determine the strain inhibition/strain mass growth by using spectrophotometric optical density reading (OD). The bacterial/mycelium growth rates (BGR/MGR) and the bacterial/mycelium inhibition rates (BIR/MIR) after ozone treatment in the presence and absence of MpEO on the ATTC strains were calculated; the minimum inhibition concentration (MIC) and statistical interpretations of the time-dose relationship and specific t-test correlations were determined. The effect of ozone on the following tested strains at maximum efficiency was observed after 55 s of single ozone exposure, in order of effect strength: S. aureus > P. aeruginosa > E. coli > C. albicans > S. mutans. For ozone with the addition of 2% MpEO (MIC), maximum efficacy was recorded at 5 s for these strains, in order of effect strength: C. albicans > E. coli > P. aeruginosa > S. aureus > S. mutans. The results suggest a new development and affinity regarding the cell membrane of the different microorganisms tested. In conclusion, the use of ozone, combined with MpEO, is sustained as an alternative therapy in plaque biofilm and suggested as helpful in controlling oral disease-causing microorganisms in medicine.

Synergistic/Antagonistic Potential of Natural Preparations Based on Essential Oils Against Streptococcus mutans from the Oral Cavity.

The present paper addresses a thematic of interest in preventive dental medicine, namely the possibility of using essential oils (EOs) for the inhibition of the development of Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) in the oral cavity, as a viable alternative to chemical products with protective role in oral health. For this purpose, four EOs (cinnamon, clove, bergamote, and orange) were chemically characterized by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and in vitro tested against S. mutans (ATCC 25175). The results obtained revealed the antibacterial effect on S. mutans exercised by the essential oils of clove (CLEO), bergamote (BEO), and orange (OEO), which were included in the production of natural emulsion-type preparations with application in dental medicine. In order to highlight the synersistic/antagonistic effects generated by the chemical constituent of essential oils, binary and tertiary emulsions were prepared and used in saliva-enhanced medium against S. mutans. The saliva tests proved the synergistic effect exercised by the active components of EOs tested from tertiary emulsions, which cause an inhibition of the development of S. mutans in oral cavities.

Ozone and microstructural morphological changes of tooth enamel.

The paper aims to study the impact of ozone (O3) treatment on the microstructural changes of the tooth enamel after the treatment at different time intervals. The ozonation was performed with gaseous O3 produced by HealOzone X4, the demineralization level was measured with the DiagnoDent Pen 2190 device, and the microstructure changes of enamel surface were observed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis. The results showed the exposure to O3 for 40-50 seconds enhanced enamel micro-hardness and ensures a rate of remineralization between 96.82-97.38%. In conclusion, in search of new minimally invasive solutions in the treatment of caries and to offer antimicrobial support of the oral cavity, the use of O3 as an alternative therapy to classical solutions may be a viable solution in dentistry.