Efficacy of an alcohol-free CPC-containing mouthwash against oral multispecies biofilms.

Objective: The aim of this work was to develop two static-model multispecies oral biofilm systems to compare the efficacy of a placebo mouthwash to an alcohol-free mouthwash containing 0.075% CPC.

Methods: Two model biofilm systems were used: a 24-well glass-bottom microplate (GM) system and a chamber slide (CS) system. These were inoculated with Schaedler media containing pooled, unfiltered saliva. During incubation at 37 degrees C in 5% CO2, Schaedler media was replaced every 24 hours. Five-day and 10-day multispecies biofilms in the GM and CS systems were then exposed to phosphate buffered saline, the placebo mouthwash, or the alcohol-free 0.075% CPC-containing mouthwash. Biofilms were visualized in three-dimensions by Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy (CLSM), and fluorometric analyses were performed on biofilms in the GM system.

Results: CLSM demonstrated that regardless of the model system used, the alcohol-free 0.075% CPC-containing mouthwash solution increased the number of damaged biofilm cells. The efficacy of CPC was inversely related to the age of the biofilm. A contrariety between the two biofilm systems was that the CS system indicated that alcohol-free 0.075% CPC-containing mouthwash partially disrupted biofilms. Fluorometric analysis ofGM biofilms also demonstrated that the alcohol-free 0.075% CPC-containing mouthwash damaged biofilm cells.

Conclusion: Two static oral multispecies model biofilms systems demonstrated that an alcohol-free 0.075% CPC-containing mouthwash had greater antimicrobial efficacy than a placebo mouthwash. The alcohol-free 0.075% CPC-containing formulation is effective against multispecies oral biofilms.