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Effect of chlorhexidine on the relative proportions of Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sanguis in hamster plaque
Author(s) -
EMILSON C. G.,
WESTERGREN G.
Publication year - 1979
Publication title -
european journal of oral sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.802
H-Index - 93
eISSN - 1600-0722
pISSN - 0909-8836
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0722.1979.tb00684.x
Subject(s) - streptococcus mutans , chlorhexidine , microbiology and biotechnology , streptococcus , dental plaque , hamster , chemistry , dentistry , medicine , biology , bacteria , genetics
— The effect of chlorhexidine on the proportions of Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sanguis in plaque was studied in hamsters fed a diet containing 28% sucrose. In animals given chlorhexidine in their drinking water for 10 d a decrease in the population of S. mutans and an increase of S. sanguis occurred in the plaque. Following the removal of chlorhexidine the population of S. mutans increased again in the presence of sucrose and the number of S. sanguis returned to initial values. When animals were given a sucrose‐free diet the low proportion of S. mutans observed following the short‐term chlorhexidine period persisted. These data indicate that there is an inverse relationship between the number of S. sanguis and S. mutans in plaque and that the sensitivity in vivo of S. mutans to chlorhexidine can be used to suppress the population of S. mutans with a concomitant rise in the proportion of S. sanguis .