Antimicrobial Effectiveness of Commonly Used Medicaments and Solutions to Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg)

Signature Grand, Davie, Florida, USA

Objective. The aim of this study is to evaluate the in vitro bacteriostatic properties of several commonly used dental medicaments and solutions against Pg. Background. Pg, a gram negative, anaerobic bacteria, is implicated in the development of several periodontal diseases including gingivitis, chronic periodontitis and aggressive periodontitis. Various medicaments are frequently utilized during the prevention, management and treatment of these periodontal diseases. Methods. Agar plates were seeded with P. gingivalis and incubated for 24 hours with 6mm diameter disks soaked with one of the following: chlorhexidine 0.12%, Listerine®, Cepacol®, and Crest® mouthwashes, amoxicillin, tetracycline, clindamycin, Emdogain® and EDTA 24%. Disks soaked in 6% sodium hypochlorite or saline solution served as controls. The diameters of the zones of P. gingivalis growth inhibition were measured with electronic calipers to determine the zones of microbial inhibition for each of the test solutions. Results. All the test products, except tetracycline and Emdogain® were effective at preventing P. gingivalis growth. There was a significant difference between the antimicrobial effectiveness of the different medicaments ranked as follows from greatest to least: EDTA > chlorhexidine > clindamycin® > Crest® > Cepacol® > Listerine® > amoxicillin. Conclusion. These findings suggest that Emdogain® and tetracycline have little or no effect on the growth of P. gingivalis. However, several medicaments commonly used in dentistry did have antibacterial effect against the putative periodontal pathogen P. gingivails in vitro. Notable was the marked inhibitory effect of EDTA which warrants further study.