Evaluation of the antimicrobial effect of herbal tooth paste containing Bamboo salt on Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus

Introduction: In the recent years, there has been plenty of attention to herbal toothpastes in oral health promotion objectives. Bamboo salt is a viscous solution with a light green color that is extracted from the bamboo plant and has an extensive antimicrobial effect. The aim of the current study was to determine the antimicrobial effects of herbal toothpaste containing Bamboo salt on Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus. Methods: Sixty dental students (18-30 years old) were randomly divided to case and control groups. Participants were instructed to brush using Crest toothpaste and bamboo salt herbal toothpaste for the control and case group, respectively. They were instructed to brush two times daily (after breakfast & before night sleep) with the bass technique for 4 weeks as well as using dental floss every night. Saliva samples were collected from patients at the beginning of the study and after 4 weeks of using the toothpastes. The streptococcus mutans and lactobacillus were counted. Results: The findings of the present study indicated that both the toothpastes containing bamboo salt and Crest toothpaste decreased the streptococcus mutans and lactobacillus count of saliva (P≤0.01). No statistically significant differences were observed between the two toothpastes in terms of streptococcus mutans (P≤0.108) and lactobacillus count (P≤0.796). Conclusion: The findings of the current study suggests that the toothpaste containing bamboo salt has similar effects to the commonly used toothpastes.