Methods: Water, base solution of DPM and DPM were applied daily into rats’ oral cavities for 21 days, then blood and tissue sample were collected for hematological and histopathological examinations. The amount of P-32 released in 4 groups of neutron-irradiated enamel specimens immersing in artificial saliva, coca-cola, commercial mouthrinse and DPM was measured at 14 days. Saliva samples were collected from 3 groups of subject (n=35 each) receiving NSS, chlorhexidine and DPM at baseline, 1 hr, 3 hr and 1 week after rinsing, and then the number of Mutans streptococci colonies were counted. The other study is similar except subjects were fixed orthodontics patients and everyone had to use all types of mouthrinses. Volatile sulfer compounds (VSCs) from 30 subjects were measured at baseline, 1 hr, and 1 week after rinsing with DPM, NSS and chlorxexidine. The same procedure was repeated until everyone used all type of mouthrinses.
Results: : No pathological changes were evident and results from hematological exam were not significantly different among groups and were within normal ranges. DPM significantly reduced the number of Mutans streptococci in both normal and fixed orthodontics patients and also reduced all volatile sulfer compounds except for metyl mercaptan.
Conclusions: DPM was neither toxic to animals nor had tooth demineralization effect on enamel. It significantly reduced the number of Mutans streptococci colonies and halitosis.