EFFECTS OF SUBLETHAL EXPOSURE TO AN ANTISEPTIC MOUTHRINSE ON REPRESENTATIVE PLAQUE BACTERIA

Although the mechanism responsible for the clinical antiplaque efficac y of oral antiseptics is generally considered to be primarily one of b actericidal activity, it has been suggested that oral antiseptics may have additional effects on bacteria exposed to sublethal levels. Studi es reported herein, investigated the effects of sublethal levels of an essential oil-containing antiseptic mouthrinse (Listerine Antiseptic, Warner-Lambert Co., Morris Plains, NJ) on selected activities of repr esentative plaque microorganisms using in vitro models. These studies demonstrated that sublethal exposure to the tested oral antiseptic can have significant effects in reducing intergeneric coaggregation, incr easing bacterial generation time, and extracting endotoxin from Gram-n egative bacteria. These in vitro activities can be correlated with fea tures of plaque formation and pathogenicity seen in vivo; however, add itional studies will be necessary to confirm that these mechanisms are , in fact, operative clinically.