Antimicrobial Efficacy of Toothpastes Containing Fluoride against Clinically Isolated Streptococci mutans

Dental caries is one of the prevalent oral diseases which affect all ages. Many chemical substances with antimicrobial properties, are effective against microorganisms causing dental caries. The objective of this study was to check the antimicrobial efficacy of some toothpastes found in Enugu metropolis, Nigeria more specifically against clinically isolated Streptococci mutans. The antimicrobial efficacy of different brands of toothpastes marketed in Enugu metropolis was assayed against Streptococci mutans using the agar well diffusion method. The clinical Streptococci mutans used for this study were taken from carious lesions of patients that attended the clinic at Federal College of Dental Therapy and Technology, Trans Ekulu, Enugu, Nigeria and were isolated and cultivated using traditional laboratory methods. The present study has shown that toothpaste which contains mint extract as herbal constituent and sodium fluoride had the highest antimicrobial activity, followed by toothpastes containing only sodium monofluorophosphate. Herbal toothpaste with mint can be a safe and effective alternative in the prevention of dental caries.