Abstract
Purpose : The role of mouthwash in improving the sanitary condition of the mouth has been restudied recently. However, the effect of mouthwash on mature plaque, is unknown. In this study, mature plaque was treated with Aqua Oxidizing Water, and its effects were examined under an electron microscope.
Materials and Methods : The subjects were 20 healthy volunteers including students and members of the dental stuff of our department. To collect plaque, epoxy resin (Quetol, Nisshin EM, Tokyo) film was produced and temporary applied to the interdental region of the upper first and second premolars on both sides of the mouth using instantly polymerizing resin. Plaque formed on the epoxy resin film was collected with the film at certain intervals from 6 to 120 hours after plaque was allowed to form. The film with adherent plaque was treated by three methods : soaking in physiological saline (Otsuka Seiyaku, Co. Ltd., Japan) [the control group], soaking in Listerine® (the mouthwash group) and soaking in aqua oxidizing water [aqua oxidizing water group] for 30 sec. Then the film in all groups was fixed in 2.5% glutaraldehyde solution, dehydrated with alcohol, embedded in Quetol resin according to the conventional method, and examined under a transmission electron microscope (TEM) . Some specimens were also examined under a scanning electron microscope (SEM) .
Result and Discussion : Plaque accumulation was detected 12 hours after plaque was allowed to form in the control group. Electron microscope examination revealed that inhibition of plaque formation at the beginning, a slight change in the shape of bacterial colonies, and extracellular substances occur on the surface of mature plaque in the mouthwash group and aqua oxidizing water group. These findings show that aqua oxidizing water affects plaque especially at the begining of plaque formation.
