Are chewing sticks effective in decreasing oral malodour? A bioanalytical evaluation

Abstract

‘Bad breath’ or ‘Halitosis’ is of significant concern to majority of the population resulting in various physiological and psycho-social effects. Bad breath is caused by Volatile sulphur Compounds (VSCs) formed through microbial degradation of proteinaceous material in the oral cavity. The most common of these VSCs are hydrogen sulphide (H2S), methyl mercaptan (CH3SH) and dimethyl sulphide (CH3)2S. The use of herbal chewing sticks for oral hygiene has been in practice traditionally among Indian population. Fresh twigs of neem, miswak, babool, arjun etc. are used of which, neem and miswak are more popular. Current study evaluates the efficacy of the use of chewing sticks made from neem (Azadirachta indica) and miswak (Salvadora persica) in decreasing oral malodor and compares the efficacy with that of using marketed toothpaste. Decrease in VSCs level can be a good indicator to evaluate the suitability of using herbal chewing stick in the management of oral hygiene. Present study has been conducted on voluntarily consented, healthy human male subjects (n = 6) with VSCs > 300 ng/mL in a three-way crossover, randomized sequence, with two days of washout period as interval between treatments. VSCs from mouth air are measured by Gas Chromatography (GC) fitted with a Flame photometric detector (FPD). The variations in VSCs before and after use of two types of chewing sticks are statistically compared with those after the use of marketed toothpaste.