Effectiveness of Mouthwash-Containing Silver Nanoparticles on Cariogenic Microorganisms, Plaque Index, and Salivary pH in A Group of Saudi Children

To compare the effectiveness of Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and Chlorhexidine (CHX) mouthwash on Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans), Lactobacillus spp., and Candida albicans (C. albicans) counts O’Leary plaque index (O’Leary PI) scores, and salivary pH levels among children.

The study sample consisted of 117 eligible participants aged 12–18 years. They were divided into control, CHX, and AgNPs groups, with 39 subjects per group. The log₁₀ salivary microbial counts, O’Leary PI, and salivary pH values were recorded and statistically analyzed at baseline and the 28^th day. Descriptive statistics were presented as the mean ± standard deviation. In addition, the analyses of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey posthoc test were implemented. The p-value ≤ 0.05 denotes a significant difference between the two points.

AgNPs and CHX mouthwash were found to have significantly reduced salivary microbial counts and O’Leary PI scores. The salivary pH levels notably increased on the 28^th day (p-value < 0.001). All measured outcomes demonstrated notable effects, with the greatest observed for the CHX group, followed by the AgNPs group, and finally, the control group.

Chlorhexidine and AgNPs mouthwash effectively reduced the cariogenic microbial count and dental plaque and improved the salivary pH values. AgNPs mouthwash may be used as an adjunctive measure to prevent dental caries.