According to researchers, a cost-effective mouthwash, prepared with the herb triphala, can be as effective as the commercially available chlorhexidine in preventing dental caries. The researchers conducted a study on 1,431 students in the age-group of 8-12 years having the same socio-economic status and oral hygiene practices.
Dentist Neeti Bajaj from Haryana-based PDM Dental College and Research Institute and Dr. Shobha Tandon, from Manipal College of Dental Sciences, Karnataka had divided the students in three groups for the study purpose. One of the groups was given triphala mouthwash, the other one was instructed to rinse their mouth with chorohexidine while the third group was given distilled water for the purpose for nine months.
On studying their oral health, the authors found that triphala and chlorhexidine had similar inhibitory effect on plaque, gingivitis, and growth of streptococcus mutans and lactobacillus. However as expected, distilled water did not help in significant reduction in the Streptococcus mutans counts, it was found.
The authors concluded that Ayurveda-based regimens such as triphala mouthwash can replace chlorhexidine as cost-effective preventive strategies in the country particularly in rural areas where a large number of people suffer from dental caries which can be cured with mouth rinsing. However, the researchers note that more scientific work needs to be carried out to prove the efficacy of triphala which in Ayurveda is known as one of the best herbal remedy.
Nearly 60-70% of the child Indian population suffers from dental caries. Mouth rinsing is the most cost effective method of preventing dental caries. 'Triphala' has been a classic Ayurveda remedy, probably the best known among all Ayurvedic compounds. This study was conducted on 1501 students in the age group of 8-12 years with the aim of determining the effect of Triphala mouthwash on prevention of dental caries (manifest caries) as well as incipient carious lesions, and also comparing the effect of Triphala and chlorhexidine mouthwashes. The incipient caries was recorded at 3, 6, 9 months intervals and manifest caries at 9 months interval. No significant increase in the DMFS scores was found at the end of 9 months. Also, there was no significant increase in the incipient caries score towards the conclusion of the study. It was concluded that there was no significant difference between the Triphala and the chlorhexidine mouthwashes.
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Donal oMathuna, Ph.D., School of Nursing, Dublin City University has reported a research involving results from use of ‘Triphala’ as a mouthwash in school-children.
Triphala has been extensively used for lowering blood cholesterol, and has many potential benefits on blood lipids, according to Donal OMathuna. The author also reports that ‘triphala’ contains Vitamin C, various anti-oxidants and number of other ingredients.
“The antimicrobial effects of triphala have received some attention from researchers. Laboratory studies have shown that triphala is active against a broad spectrum of micro-organisms that are involved in microbial infections. A study published in 2010 found that triphala was active against microbes isolated from hospital patients, suggesting that the extract might be useful against microbes resistant to antibiotics. A group of tannins found in the extracts are believed to be the active ingredients. These are able to combine with microbial enzymes to prevent them from working properly.” reported the author.
The research that has been published in 2010 was carried out in 1500-primary school children in India with the aim to examine the usefulness of triphala as a mouthwash to examine dental caries.
“In this study, the children used a mouthwash which contained either triphala extract, chlorhexidine (a common component in popular mouthwashes) or distilled water. After nine months, those using distilled water had significantly increased scores on measures of dental caries. In contrast, those using triphala or chlorhexidine mouthwash had similar reductions in the incidence of caries.” he added.
“The authors concluded that since the two mouthwashes were similarly effective, but triphala was much less expensive, that triphala could be recommended for dental hygiene.” wrote DonalO’mathuna
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A new mouthwash may eradicate tooth decay.
The mouthwash, which was created by a microbiologist from the UCLA School of Dentistry, targets Streptococcus mutans. That type of bacteria is one of the main causes for tooth decay and cavities.
A recent study showed that 12 subjects had a mouth without any sign of S. mutans bacteria after just one rinse with this mouthwash. This study appears in the recent edition of Caries Research.
Dental caries is one of the most common and expensive diseases in the United States. Billions of dollars are spent each year on treatment for the problem.
This new mouthwash was developed by Wenyuan Shi, chair of the biology section at the UCLA School of Dentistry. It took about a decade to create and used a STAMP called C16G2 to be effective. The STAMP C16G2 can get rid of harmful bacteria and do so for long periods of time.
The next step for the product to be put into practice is approval from the Food and Drug Administration. It's conceivable it could be the first drug to prevent caries since fluoride was introduced about 60 years ago
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The first historical mention of a mouth wash product is from Chinese medicine around the year 2700 BC, this was used in the treatment of gingivitus. During the Roman and Greek periods, the rinsing of the mouth after manual cleansing was commonly practiced by the upper classes with the famous physician Hippocrates recommending a mixture of salt, alum and vinegar. Modern mouthwashes as we know them first came to prominence in the late 1960's when professor Hard Loe discovered that a compound made from chlorhexidine could help prevent plaque build up.
Key Ingredients
Commonly used ingredients in modern mouthwashes include eucalyptol, thymol, hexetidine, methyl salicyate, menthol, methylparaben, hydrogen peroxide and often fluoride. Many also include sweeteners like sorbitoal and sodium saccharine and xylitol. In some products alcohol may be added as it contributes to the antibacterial effect to carry the flavour. Commercial mouthwashes often contain preservatives like sodium benzoate which can help to ensure the product stays fresh after the bottle is opened. It's important to note that if you suffer from heartburn, acid reflux or similar conditions, that many mouthwashes are high in acidity so you should opt for a neutral pH wash to avoid any unnecessary irritation.