Evaluation of the efficacy of chlorhexidine 0,12% and white vinegar 5% in disinfection of Toothbrushes (In vitro study)

Abstract

Background and aim: Toothbrushes can be contaminated with many pathogens from the same person, storage and adjacent brushes, which may cause recurrent infections in the mouth, therefore this study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of chlorhexidine 0,12% and white vinegar 5% in disinfecting toothbrushes selectively contaminated with the three most prevalent and pathogenic bacterial types.Materials and Methods: The study sample included 90 toothbrushes that were divided into three main groups, each of which was contaminated with one of the germs (Staphylococus aureus, Escherichia.coli,Pseudomonas aeruginosa), and each group was divided into three subgroups according to the disinfectant used (Chlorhexidine 0,12%, white vinegar 5%, tap water as a control sample), and the number of colonies after disinfection was calculated, then the data were analyzed using (Kruskal-Wallis, Mann-Whitney U) tests to study the significance of the differences between groups.Results: Comparisons according to the Kruskal-Wallis test. Showed that there was a statistically significant difference in the number of colonies / ml between the control group and each of the disinfectant groups (p <0.001).no statistical difference was found between the chlorhexidine0,12% and white vinegar groups (p 0.05).Conclusion: The study showed that chlorhexidine 0.12% and white vinegar 5% are effective against the tested bacteria and can be used as an antiseptic for toothbrushes.