Flavonoids as a possible preventive of dental plaque

To test flavonoids for antibacterial ativity against oral micraorganisms, flavonoids, quercetrin and naringenin, were incorporated into two pharmaceutical preparations in the form of tooth paste. Samples of dental plaque, the most accused dental deposit which initiates the gingival and periodental diseases, were collected from the teeth surface of ten dental students at one week interval before and after using placebo, followed by two formulae of tooth paste containing 0.1% of quercetrin and naringenin (formulas I and II, respectively). The amount of dental plaque was assessed by the Quigley and Hens index. Then plaque samples were subjected to bacteriological examination of Gram stain and plate counts of microorganisms. The results revealed that most of Gram negative cocci and bacilli were highly affected by the two formulae: the number of actinomycetes were decreased after using formula I and disappeared completely by the use of formula II, while the number of Gram positive streptococci was highly decreased after the treatment with the two formulae. These results indicate a possible use of flavonoids to inhibit dental plaque formation.