title: Antimicrobial capacity of Aloe vera and propolis dentifrice against Streptococcus mutans strains in toothbrushes: an in vitro study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study evaluated in vitro the efficiency of Aloe vera and propolis dentifrice on reducing the contamination of toothbrush bristles by a standard strain of Streptococcus mutans (ATCC 25175; SM), after toothbrushing.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifteen sterile toothbrushes were randomly divided into 5 toothbrushing groups: I (negative control): without dentifrice; II: with fluoridated dentifrice; III: with triclosan and gantrez dentifrice; IV (positive control): without dentifrice and irrigation with 10 mL of 0.12% chlorhexidine gluconate; V: with Aloe vera and propolis dentifrice. In each group, 1 sterile bovine tooth was brushed for 1 min, where the toothbrush bristles were contaminated with 25 µL of SM. After toothbrushing, the bristles were stored in individual test tubes with 3 mL of BHI under anaerobiosis of 37°C for 48 h. Then, they were seeded with sterile swab in triplicate in the Mitis salivarius - Bacitracin culture medium. The samples were kept under anaerobiosis of 37°C for 48 h. Scores were used to count the number of colony forming units (cfu). The results were submitted to the Mann-Whitney statistical test at 5% significance level.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was statistically significant difference (p<0.05) for the reduction of bristle contamination comparing groups II, III, IV and V to group I.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It may be stated that after toothbrushing, the Aloe vera and propolis dentifrice reduced the contamination of toothbrush bristles by SM, without differentiation from the other chemical agents used.
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontics, Paulista University, Sorocaba, Brazil. bertolinipfr@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Patrícia Fernanda Roesler
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Bertolini
authors.forename: Oswaldo
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Biondi Filho
authors.forename: Arnaldo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pomilio
authors.forename: Sérgio Luiz
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Pinheiro
authors.forename: Meghi Silva de
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Carvalho
mesh_terms: D000504:Aloe; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D003470:Culture Media; D003742:Dental Devices, Home Care / Q000382:microbiology*; D003802:Dentifrices; D011429:Propolis; D011897:Random Allocation; D013234:Stem Cells; D013242:Sterilization / Q000379:methods*; D013295:Streptococcus mutans / Q000254:growth & development; D013997:Time Factors; D014099:Toothbrushing / Q000295:instrumentation*
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D003802:Dentifrices; D011429:Propolis