Efficacy of Antimicrobial Agents in Dentifrices: A Systematic Review

Abstract

The aim of this systematic review was to verify if the presence of different antimicrobial agents in dentifrices is effective in reducing the number of microorganisms for disease prevention. This review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines and was registered with the Open Science Framework (OSF). A search was conducted in the PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science databases. Two independent authors reviewed the titles and abstracts according to the inclusion criteria, which comprised in vitro studies published in English that evaluated the efficacy of antimicrobial agents in dentifrices and their antimicrobial activity. A total of 527 articles were found. Of these, 334 were included for reading of the title and abstract, and 69 were selected for reading in full. In the end, 39 articles remained in this review. Triclosan, sodium fluoride, and sodium monofluorophosphate were the most commonly used chemical antimicrobial agents. Among the herbal agents, miswak extract and neem extract were the most commonly used. The presence of antimicrobial agents in dentifrice formulations can promote the reduction of the number of microorganisms involved in oral diseases, but with variations in their effectiveness, depending on the agent used and the microorganism evaluated.

Nanotechnology in toothpaste: Fundamentals, trends, and safety

“…Regardless of formula variations, certain additives are found in a majority of toothpaste and serve specialized roles, such as water (moisturization), carbopol, carboxymethylcellulose, xanthan gum, and sodium alginate (agglutinant/thickener) [ 33 , 210 ], aromatizing agent (taste, mint, aroma, and sweetness) [ 131 ], wetting agent (hydrogen peroxide or activated charcoal) [ 20 , 211 ], antifoaming agent (silicon antifoam) [ 212 ], sodium bicarbonate and calcium phosphate-based agents (erosive action) [ 213 , 214 ], and an emulsifier, to aid in the removal of leftover food from the tooth structure [ 215 ]. Bioactive substances, such as antimicrobial agents like chlorhexidine, triclosan, F, and other natural compounds like herbal extracts, improve dental care [ 216 , 217 ]. As a result, it is crucial to select toothpaste with antibacterial properties [ 218 , 219 ].…”

Revisiting Oral Antiseptics, Microorganism Targets and Effectiveness

“…Oral antiseptics contain a mixture of different substances in a solution [ 50 ]. Among the different families of oral antiseptics, the following stand out: cationic surfactants derived from bisbiguanides, bispyridinamines and quaternary ammonium derivatives, iodine compounds, phenolic agents, alcohols, and various mixtures of organic compounds [ 10 , 12 , 50 , 51 , 52 , 53 , 54 ]. The most representative of these oral antiseptics, their mechanism of action and main adverse effects, among other characteristics, are shown in Table 1 .…”

“…Regarding TRC, it is a nonionic phenolic derivative with known antimicrobial capabilities that has been broadly used as well [ 53 ]. Through the mechanisms described in the table, it damages the microorganism’s inner membrane [ 66 ].…”

“…Through the mechanisms described in the table, it damages the microorganism’s inner membrane [ 66 ]. The highest antimicrobial effects are achieved when TRC is combined with other copolymers, enhancing its substantivity [ 53 , 65 ]. Nevertheless, considerable attention has been given to the potential long-term side effects that this agent can cause, such as increased microbial resistance [ 53 , 54 , 96 ].…”

Diş hekimliğinde esansiyel yağların kullanımı

“…Tarçın, biberiye, hindistan cevizi portakal, nane, zencefil, kekik, karanfil, okaliptüs, mandalina ve misket limonu esansiyel yağları içeren diş macunlarını inceleyen bir çalışmanın sonuçları çürük oluşumuyla ilişkili mikroorganizmalara (Streptococcus mutans ve Lactobacillus lactis) karşı önemli antimikrobiyal ve antiplak aktiviteleri gösterdiğini ortaya koymuştur (18).…”