In-vitro comparative study to evaluate the efficacy of antimicrobial activity of Thymol(A), Chlorhexidine(B), Chlorhexidine plus triclosan (C), Cetylpyridinium chloride (D), Belleric myrobalan (E), Povidone iodine (F) mouthwashes against Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus mutans with distilled water as a control group was undertaken. The mouthwashes were tested at four different concentrations 1:4(25%), 1:1(50%), 3:4(75%) and full strength (100%). The antimicrobial activity was determined by using agar well diffusion method. The plates were allowed to incubated at 37 o c for 24hr, 48hr and 72hr. Chlorhexidine plus triclosan emerged as the most effective mouthwash against Staphylococcus aureus (30mm to 35.33mm) and Streptococcus mutans (19mm to 27.5mm)] followed by Cetylpyridinium chloride, Chlorhexidine, Thymol, Belleric myrobalan. Povidone iodine and distilled water had no antimicrobial activity. It was concluded that the Chlorhexidine plus triclosan shows excellent antimicrobial activity but povidine iodine has no antimicrobial activity.

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