Comparative Assessment of Antimicrobial Activity of Propolis and Chlorhexidine on Salivary Isolates of and in Children with Severe Early Childhood Caries: An Study.

BACKGROUND

and are the chief microbes associated with severe early childhood caries (S-ECC). Diverse antimicrobial agents are widely used to prevent ECC, and a quest for newer natural products has been on the rise in the recent past.

AIM

To estimate the antimicrobial activity of propolis with chlorhexidine on salivary specimens from children with S-ECC .

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 60 children with S-ECC were designated. Salivary samples of 30 children (group I) were inoculated onto mitis salivarius agar (MSA) to isolate . Another 30 samples (group II) were inoculated on sabouraud's dextrose agar and subcultured on HiCrome differential agar to isolate . Sensitivity testing for 0.2% chlorhexidine and 10% propolis extract was done using the agar well diffusion technique using Mueller-Hinton agar medium. The antimicrobial effect was evaluated by calculating the diameter of the zone of inhibition surrounding the well.

RESULTS

All saliva samples collected from groups I and II showed growth of and , respectively. All cultured microbes were sensitive to 0.2% chlorhexidine and 10% propolis extract. The mean inhibition zone for with chlorhexidine was 14.57 ± 0.63 mm, and with propolis, 11.93 ± 0.52 mm. The mean zone of inhibition for with chlorhexidine was 12.83 ± 0.59 mm, and with propolis, 9.50 ± 0.73 mm. Chlorhexidine consistently showed statistically significantly larger zones of inhibition and hence appeared to be a more potent antimicrobial agent than propolis extract for both and . However, propolis has irrefutable action against both and .

CONCLUSION

Propolis may be an acceptable substitute for chlorhexidine for long-term use as it has demonstrated antimicrobial activity and fewer side effects. Hence, this Association of Physicians of India herbal drug can be incorporated into mouthwashes and toothpaste to reduce microbial counts.

HOW TO CITE THIS ARTICLE

Kodgi V, Shetty P, Thimmaiah C, Comparative Assessment of Antimicrobial Activity of Propolis and Chlorhexidine on Salivary Isolates of and in Children with Severe Early Childhood Caries: An Study. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2024;17(5):591-595.