ABSTRACT
The medicinal role of garlic (Allium sativum), has been recognized since ancient times. Antimicrobial activity is one of the various medicinal properties associated with garlic. This property makes garlic a potential anticariogenic agent in protecting against Streptococcus mutans, which is acidogenic, aciduric and cariogenic in the oral cavity. The salivary pH is therefore a reflection of caries activity, being inversely proportional. The hypothesis of this study was that the use of garlic incorporated mouthwashes may be an effective strategy in resisting decrease in the salivary pH and thus exhibit cariostatic effect. The objective of the present study was to elucidate the effects of garlic, as a mouthwash, on the salivary pH as against a commercially popular mouthwash, chlorhexidine, and a combination of the two, in caries active and caries resistant individuals. The study subjects were grouped into four groups: garlic group, chlorhexidine group, combination group (garlic combined with chlorhexidine) and control group (water rinse) and these were further subdivided into caries active and caries resistant subgroups. The results show that the best benefits were obtained from the combination mouthwash in the caries active subgroup. Individually, the garlic and chlorhexidine mouthwashes were also effective in preventing substantial drops in salivary pH, post-glucose mouth rinse, in both subgroups. Interestingly, the pH values obtained after rinsing just with water fared second best among the four groups and being very close to the combination mouthwash, confirming the benefits of plain water in accordance with the principles of “hydrotherapy”.