title: Effect of essential oils containing and alcohol-free chlorhexidine mouthrinses on cariogenic micro-organisms in human saliva.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect on mutans streptococci and lactobacilli in saliva of mouthrinsing with essential oils and an alcohol-free chlorhexidine.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty healthy volunteers (mean age 59 years) participated in the double-blind randomized cross-over study. Three mouthrinses were used in 16 days rinsing periods in addition to their regular mechanical oral hygiene: a solution with essential oils (EO; Listerine), a solution with alcohol-free chlorhexidine (CHX; Paroex) and water (negative control). The mouthrinse periods were separated by 3-month washout periods. At days 0 (baseline) and 17 (end) of each mouthrinse period, paraffin stimulated whole saliva was collected in order to analyse CFU/ml saliva of mutans streptococci and lactobacilli.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Only the CHX rinse showed a significant difference for CFU mutans streptococci between baseline and end (p = 0.004). The CFU mutans streptococci at the end of the rinse periods showed statistically significant differences between CHX vs EO (p = 0.039) and CHX vs water (p = 0.022). The difference in CFU lactobacilli between baseline and end was significant for CHX (p = 0.031), but not for the other rinses. No statistically significant differences for lactobacilli were found at the end of the rinse periods between the mouthrinses.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A significant reduction in amount of cariogenic bacteria in saliva was observed after 16 days of alcohol-free chlorhexidine mouthrinse but not after the essential oils rinse. The high number of participant's not changing to a bacterial class with a reduced number of micro-organisms showed that both rinses had little clinical significance as a caries preventing treatment method, which can decrease the number of CFU cariogenic micro-organisms.
authors.affiliation: Dental Hygienist Education, Department of Odontology, Dental School, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden. katarina.albertsson@odont.umu.se
authors.forename: Katarina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wikén Albertsson
authors.forename: Anitha
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Persson
authors.forename: Jan W V
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: van Dijken
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000438:Alcohols / Q000737:chemistry*; D002710:Chlorhexidine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009067:Mouthwashes; D009822:Oils, Volatile / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012463:Saliva / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D000438:Alcohols; D009067:Mouthwashes; D009822:Oils, Volatile; D002710:Chlorhexidine