Effect of Chlorhexidine Gluconate (0.2%), Combination (0.2% Chlorhexidine and 0.05% Sodium Fluoride), and Green Tea Extract (0.5%) Mouth Rinses on Colony Count Changes of Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus in Saliva – A Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract Introduction Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus acidophilus are the well-known etiological factors for dental caries. Chlorhexidine (CHX) gluconate is the “gold-standard” antimicrobial agent but having adverse effects such as brown staining of the teeth and altered taste. Thus, there is a need for an alternative herbal product. Objective This study was done to compare the efficacy of CHX gluconate (0.2%) and combination (0.2% CHX and 0.05% sodium fluoride [NaF]) mouth rinses to that of green tea extract (0.5%) mouth rinse in reducing the salivary count of S. mutans and L. acidophilus in dental students. Materials and Methods The sample size of the study was 75 dental students with ≥4 decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT) index. They were divided into three equal groups to test various mouth rinses against S. mutans and Lactobacillus . Unstimulated salivary samples were collected at baseline and postrinse (14 days) and tested for the colony-forming units of S. mutans and Lactobacillus . The Chi-square test was used to ascertain the demographic characteristics of the study population. One-way ANOVA statistics and paired t -test were applied to calculate the inferential statistics between the variables. The statistical constant was fixed at P < 0.05. Results The results of the study indicated that there was a statistically significant reduction in S. mutans and Lactobacilli count in all the three study groups. Conclusion Green tea mouth rinse can be a promising preventive therapy worldwide for the prevention of dental caries but CHX mouthwashes are superior in reduction of S. mutans and Lactobacillus .