THE BACTERICIDAL ACTION OF CERTAIN ANTISEPTICS ON THE ORAL BACTERIA

¹ Department of Bacteriology, University of New Hampshire, Durham, N. H.

The daily use of Cepacol solution, Cepacol troches, penicillin troches or Cepacol-penicillin troches produced a marked reduction in the number of oral bacteria, including the alpha streptococci, lactobacilli, and fusiform bacteria. When penicillin was used, penicillin resistant bacteria and yeast appeared in the mouth, sometimes in large numbers. The addition of Ceepryn chloride to the penicillin (Cepacol-penicillin troche) appeared to prevent, to some extent, the development of such organisms.

Definite decreases in the numbers of oral bacteria, particularly alpha streptococci, were obtained when samples were tested 1, 2, and 4 or 5 hours after dissolving a Cepacol or Aureomycin troche in the mouth or after rinsing the mouth with 10 ml. of Cepacol solution or Listerine for 1 minute. The Cepacol troches appeared to produce greater reductions than the Cepacol solution and the Cepacol solution was more effective than the Listerine. Under the conditions of the above tests, the reductions in numbers of oral lactobacilli following the use of the test medications varied with the different subjects and the results were inconclusive. It is interesting to note that greater reductions in the oral flora occurred in the 2 subjects dissolving 2 Cepacol troches in the mouth at one time.

Considerable variation was found in the numbers of oral bacteria present in the saliva samples from certain subjects when taken on different days. This is perhaps to be expected with the uncontrollable conditions that may occur in the mouth from day to day. However, this complicates the study of oral antiseptics by in vivo methods and makes it highly desirable that an average of several tests on different days be obtained in attempting to evaluate the bactericidal action of antiseptics on the oral bacteria.