Comparative antimicrobial efficacy study of different commercially available toothpaste in India: An in vitro study

Abstract

Antimicrobial chemotherapeutic agents have been recommended for lowering oral bacteria growth. The main purpose of this study is to examine the efficacy of different toothpaste formulations in providing complete oral cavity protection against oral pathogens. By using a modified well agar diffusion assay, twenty kinds of toothpaste were examined for antimicrobial efficacy against two oral pathogens: Streptococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. The examination indicated that the majority of the non-herbal dentifrices and combinations of herbal and chemical-based dentifrices chosen for the investigation were viable against both microbial strains, however, to differing degrees. TP1 and TP17 were found the best against E. coli and S. aureus, respectively, with 21.553 mm and 23.443 mm as the zone of inhibition. From the herbal dentifrices, TP15 was found to have significant effect on E. coli, followed by TP19 for S. aureus. Nevertheless, toothpaste TP15 and TP19 were not effective against S. aureus and E. coli, respectively. In correlation, the inhibition zones of every single other dentifrice were found to be less. Antimicrobial activity against test organisms was stronger in a sodium lauryl sulphate-based dental formulations, when combined with fluoride. A formulation including TP15 exhibited substantial activity against the tested bacterium E. coli among herbal dentifrices. Statistical analysis demonstrated that the effectiveness against Gram-negative bacteria was greater than against Gram-positive bacteria. Furthermore, herbal toothpaste can be incorporated with chemotherapeutic agents to enhance its effectiveness against pathogens present in the oral microbiome. This comparison aids in the identification of the toothpaste’s shortcomings and benefits over other formulations, widening the scope of more potent toothpaste products.