A Comparative Study on the Effect of Spilanthes acmella and Chlorhexidine (0.2%) Mouth Rinses on Salivary Streptococcus mutans Count in Children

In the wake of an increased interest in finding natural alternatives for chemical medicinal products, this study assesses and compares the effects and acceptance of Spilanthes acmella, a widely used plant in various traditional systems of medicine, with Chlorhexidine (0.2%) mouth rinse on the dental caries causing pathogen Streptococcus mutans colonizing the oral cavity of children. The study included 40 healthy children in the age group of 8-12 years based on inclusion and extrusion criteria. In the beginning of the study, non-stimulated whole salivary samples were tested for the baseline count of colony forming units (CFU) of Streptococcus mutans using Mitis Salivarius Agar supplemented with potassium tellurite. The same process was repeated 24 hours after 15 days of regular use of mouth rinses twice daily. Results showed that there was statistically highly significant decrease in CFU in the post rinse phase in both the groups. S. acmella showed greater acceptance by study subjects when compared with the Chlorhexidine mouth rinse. It can be concluded based on the results of this study that S. acmella has beneficial effects against S. mutans and can be a potential option for preventive measures against dental caries, although more studies are needed for its validation.