Comparison of the Effect Of 0.2% Chlorhexidine and Xylitol Plus 920 Ppm Fluoride Mouthwashes on Count of Salivary Streptococcus Mutants, a Pilot Study

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM: Dental caries is a common chronic disease. Mouthwashes and other preventive approaches play an important role in caries prevention. Finding the most efficient mouthwash in the market is always a concern for dentists and patients. PURPOSE: This study aimed to assess the effect of chlorhexidine (Behsa, Iran) and xylitol plus 920 ppm fluoride (FX) (Fuchs, Germany) mouthwash on salivary Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans), which is the main microorganism responsible for dental caries. MATERIALS AND METHOD: This single-blind randomized clinical trial was conducted on 30 dental students, divided into two groups. The salivary count of S. mutans was measured at the beginning of the study. Group 1 students used chlorhexidine mouthwash while group 2 used FX mouthwash for two weeks. Saliva samples were collected again and salivary count of S. mutans was determined. Data were analyzed using Mann Whitney and Wilcoxon signed rank tests RESULTS: Salivary count of S.mutans significantly decreased in the two groups after using the mouthwashes (p< 0.05) and no significant difference was noted in the mean colony count between the two groups after the use of mouthwashes (p> 0.05). CONCLUSION: Within the limitations of this study, the results showed that both mouthwashes could decrease S. mutans count.