Modified Composite Nanomaterials as Novel Approach to Dental Hygiene Formulation

Oral care and dental hygiene are integral parts of self-care. In the past few decades, there has been increased development in mouthwashes as oral care products. However, existing products may lead to a dry mouth or rely on ethanol. Herein, for the first time, we investigated the antibacterial effects of cetylpyridinium chloride, a cationic surfactant, intercalated with montmorillonite, a smectite clay to form a cetylpyridinium chloride-montmorillonite clay complex. Antibacterial assays revealed that the complex was able to eradicate oral bacteria in human saliva within 2 minutes, at a concentration of 0.05 g/L as determined by plating human saliva onto nutrient agar plates post-treatment. These are very encouraging findings that could improve mouthwash formulations to remove stains and plaque against various oral bacteria.