Aromatherapy has been widely used in Europe as a phytotherapy for promoting general health or as a beauty treatment, however, the effectiveness of aromatherapy in the field of dentistry has not yet been determined.
The purposes of this study were to estimate the anti-microbiological and anti-biofilm forming effects of essential oils against mutans streptococci, periodontal pathogens and oral indigenous true fungi. Seven essential oils, a blended essential oil with tea tree, peppermint, and lemon oils (TPL oils) which is known as a recommended blend for preventing halitosis, and one of the TPL oils replaced by another essential oil were used in this study. All tested essential oils showed anti-microbiological, anti-biofilm forming effects against the tested microorganisms. Specifically, lemongrass and peppermint oils had strong anti-microbiological effects. In addition, the anti-halitosis effect of a mouthwash containing 0.3% TPL oils was examined in ten periodontal patients. Volatile sulfur compounds, including hydrogen sulfide and methyl mercaptan, which are the main malodorous substances, tended to decrease after gargling with a mouthwash containing 0.3% TPL oils.
The results of this study showed that essential oils indeed play a role in the treatment and prevention of oral diseases, especially periodontitis, candidiasis and halitosis, thereby suggesting the effectiveness of such essential oils.

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Oral solutions of the antifungal agent itraconazole were used in patients with oral disease related to oral candidiasis. The subjects were 34 patients examined in our hospital during a one-year period from April 2006 to March 2007. They underwent culture tests using sterilized swabs and gave their consent to administration of itraconazole. They included nine men (26.5%) and 25 women (73.5%) with a mean age of 67.9 ± 11.4 years and age range of 31 to 82 years old. The clinical diagnosis included candidiasis of the tongue in 16 patients, oral candidiasis except tongue in four patients, oral lichen planus in four patients and pharyngitis in three patients. Regarding the administration method, itraconazole capsules or oral solution was administered at a dose of one 100-mg capsule or 20 ml of oral solution once a day immediately after a meal. As a result, 34 patients (64.2%) were administered itraconazole. The capsule group consisted of 14 patients and the oral solution group of 23 patients (three patients were overlapping). Candida was detected in 17 of the 34 patients (50.0%). In the evaluation of results, the efficacy rates in the Candida detection group were 78.6% in the oral solution group and 66.7% in the capsule group. The efficacy rates when Candida was not detected were 33.3% in the oral solution group and 25.0% in the capsule group. Adverse events were found in six patients (17.6%) in the oral solution group, including three cases of soft stool, one of constipation, one of nausea and one of drug-induced rash. Administration was discontinued in one patient with nausea and one with drug-induced rash. The itraconazole oral solution showed better therapeutic effects than the capsule and was effective against oral candidiasis.

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Objective: Oral candidiasis develops according to alterations in the human host defenses such as a hyposalivation condition. Although erythematous candidiasis often develops in dry mouth patients, the diagnosis is difficult unlike typical pseudo-membranous candidiasis. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between Candida CFU and the morbidity of erythema in the oral mucosa and to set the cut-off point in order to prevent the risk of erythematous candidiasis in dry mouth patients.
Subjects and Methods: To set the cut-off point of Candida CFU, a receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis was carried out on the principal factors deduced by factor analysis of the oral symptoms and signs in 678 dry mouth patients. The surface of the dorsum of the tongue was swabbed and then the swab was directly inoculated onto the CHROMagar Candida to count the Candida CFU.
Results: Nine CFU of Candida was identified as a cut-off point for erythema in dry mouth patients, in which the sensitivity and specificity were 69% and 62%, respectively.
Conclusion: The establishment of a cut-off point will be helpful for the daily oral care of dry mouth patients in order to prevent the risk of erythematous candidiasis.

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We reviewed the anesthesia records of 2,964 patients treated due to oral lesions under general anesthesia from 1992 through 2006 to survey the usage of antimicrobial drugs.
The total of oral surgery I, II and III accounted for 94.1% of all cases (Fig. 1). Sulbenicillin, aspoxicillin, ceftazidime, cefazolin, cefoselis and cefmetazole were mainly used from 1992 to 1995, 1994 to 2005, 1994 to 1999, 2003 to 2006, 2000 to 2005, and 2006, respectively (Table 1).
The trends of antimicrobial drugs used at each department were as follows. Oral surgery I: Sulbenicillin was used in all of 36 cases in 1992. The use of aspoxicillin increased from 1993 and was used frequently at 91.7-98.2% from 1996 to 2002. Cefazolin was used in 104 cases (96.3%) in 2004, 126 cases (97.7%) in 2005 and 137 cases (97.2%) in 2006 (Fig. 1, Table 2). Oral surgery II: Sulbenicillin was used in all of 36 cases in 1992. Aspoxicillin was used frequently at 90.0-100.0% for 9 years from 1994 through 2002. The use of cefazolin increased in 69 cases (79.3%) in 2004, 77 cases (83.7%) in 2005 and 91 cases (92.9%) in 2006 (Fig. 3, Table 2). Oral surgery III: Sulbenicillin was used in all of 36 cases equal to oral surgery I and II in 1992. Ceftazidime was used mainly at 70.4-91.9% for 6 years from 1994 through 2004. Cefoselis was used frequently at 81.6-90.7% from 2001 to 2004 (Fig. 4, Table 2). Special person clinic: Lincomycin and aspoxicillin were mainly used from 1992 to 1995 and 1998 to 2006, respectively (Fig. 5, Table 3). Pediatric dentistry: Aspoxicillin was used in 26 of 40 cases (65.0%) during the past 15 years surveyed. Cefazolin has been mainly used since 2003 (Fig. 6, Table 3). Oral implant clinic: Aspoxicillin was used in 36 of 38 cases (94.7%) for 7 years from 2000 through 2006 (Fig. 7, Table 3).
A certain antimicrobial drug was used with high frequency for a particular period in every department, therefore all departments showed a trend of using routine antimicrobial drugs. It is thought that the main purpose of using antimicrobial drugs under general anesthesia is for prophylaxis.

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