Site-specific mouth rinsing can improve oral odor by altering bacterial counts. Blind crossover clinical study.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether site-specific mouth rinsing with oral disinfectants can improve oral odor beyond the traditional panoral mouth disinfection with mouth rinses by targeting specifically oral malodor implicated anaerobic bacteria.


METHODS
Twenty healthy fasting subjects volunteered for a blinded prospective, descriptive correlational crossover cross-section clinical trial conducted during the month of Ramadan between July and August 2013 in Albaha province in Saudi Arabia involving the application of Listerine Cool Mint mouth rinse by either the traditional panoral rinsing method, or a site-specific disinfection method targeting the subgingival and supragingival plaque and the posterior third of the tongue dorsum, while avoiding the remaining locations within the oral cavity. The viable anaerobic and aerobic bacterial counts, volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs) levels, organoleptic assessment of oral odor, and the tongue-coating index were compared at baseline, one, 5, and 9 hours after the treatment.


RESULTS
The site-specific disinfection method reduced the VSCs and anaerobic bacterial loads while keeping the aerobic bacterial numbers higher than the traditional panoral rinsing method.


CONCLUSIONS
Site-specific disinfection can more effectively maintain a healthy oral cavity by predominantly disinfecting the niches of anaerobic bacteria within the oral cavity.
Quality Control Unit, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Albaha University, PO Box 1988, Albaha, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Tel. +966 (17) 7254299. E-mail. dr.alqumber@gmail.com.
Mohammed A
MA
Alqumber
Khaled A
KA
Arafa
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001420:Bacteria, Aerobic / Q000187:drug effects; D001421:Bacteria, Anaerobic / Q000187:drug effects; D058491:Bacterial Load / Q000187:drug effects; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D003773:Dental Plaque / Q000382:microbiology; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004338:Drug Combinations; D006209:Halitosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D050296:Microbial Viability; D008875:Middle Aged; D009812:Odorants; D012459:Salicylates / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012529:Saudi Arabia; D013457:Sulfur Compounds; D013729:Terpenes / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014059:Tongue / Q000382:microbiology; D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds; D055815:Young Adult
D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local; D004338:Drug Combinations; D012459:Salicylates; D013457:Sulfur Compounds; D013729:Terpenes; D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds; C057473:Listerine