Toothbrush disinfection employing antimicrobial sprays: an "in vivo" evaluation

Objective: the purpose of this study was to assess toothbrush disinfection employing antimicrobial sprays. Methods: thirty patients, 15 male and 15 female, participated in 4 groups, testing in each group a spray type: A- basic composition (preservatives, solvent and vehicle) and 0,12% chlorhexidine digluconate (CHX); B- basic composition and 0,05% cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC); C- only basic composition; D- only sterile tap water. After each toothbrushing, the individuals sprayed the solution on the bristles and, after one week, the used toothbrushes were put in test tubes containing 10,0mL Letheen Broth (Difco). Each sample was submitted to sonication for 5s, then the brush was removed and the broth was ten-fold diluted and plated on culture media for isolation of anaerobes, aerobes and for total counting of streptococci. Elapsed the incubation period, the CFU/mL counting was carried out. Results: they are expressed in percentage of positive samples for sprays A, B, C and D, respectively: I) anaerobes – 0, 17, 50 and 83%; II) aerobes – 0, 20, 27 and 73%; III) streptococci – 0, 17, 33 and 80%. Conclusion: the sprays containing CHX, followed by CPC, were useful in the disinfection of toothbrushes, being a practical and viable method in the prevention of cross-infection and reinfection of the patient.