Consumer News from the ADA/antimicrobial mouthwash
A newly developed mouthwash formula may provide long-term protection against tooth decay.
A research team from the University of Nebraska Medical Center developed an innovative drug delivery system to carry antimicrobial agents directly to teeth. The team, led by Dong Wang, Ph.D. an associate professor of pharmaceutical science, published their study in the November issue of Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy and also reported it in the Nov. 22, 2009, issue of Science Daily.
The formulation would bind to the tooth surface and gradually release antimicrobials against cavity-forming bacteria. One reason cavities form is an overpopulation of acid-producing bacteria in biofilm present on the tooth surface.
"The beauty of this design is the simplicity," Dr. Wang said. "All you have to do is your routine oral hygiene procedure and then rinse with the formulation we have developed. It protects the teeth over a long period of time. The key is to have the antimicrobials stay where they are most needed–the tooth surface."
Antimicrobial mouth rinses and toothpastes reduce the bacterial count and stop bacterial activity in plaque, which can cause gingivitis, an early, reversible form of periodontal disease, according to the American Dental Association. ADA-accepted antimicrobial mouth rinses and toothpastes have substantiated these claims by demonstrating significant reductions in plaque and gingivitis.
Fluoride mouth rinses help reduce and prevent tooth decay. Clinical studies have demonstrated that use of a fluoride mouth rinse and fluoride toothpaste can provide extra protection against tooth decay over that provided by fluoride toothpaste alone.
More information about mouthrinses can be found at ADA.org at http://www.ada.org/1319.aspx.
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7/21/2010
