Study of the efficacy of antibacterial tongue foam with cetylpyridinium chloride

Relevance. The amount of data on the relationship between the oral microbiome, in particular the tongue, and systemic health is constantly growing, while the impact of various antibacterial agents on this ecosystem remains insufficient. Study objective: to evaluate the effectiveness of an antibacterial tongue foam containing cetylpyridinium chloride. Materials and methods. The study included 30 patients who were randomized into 3 groups comparable in terms of the initial tongue hygiene index. Group 1 used only a toothbrush and toothpaste without antiseptics for home care, group 2 additionally used a scraper, group 3 – a brush, hygienic paste, scraper and antibacterial foam. All three groups were compared based on the results of assessing the Ulitovsky tongue hygiene index at baseline and 14 days after the appointment of hygiene products. In groups 2 and 3, an additional microbiological study was conducted. Results. The study of the results of the index assessment of the hygienic condition of the tongue showed that statistically significant differences were obtained between the beginning of the study and its end in groups 2 and 3, while in group 3 the changes were more pronounced. And when comparing all three groups, reliable differences were obtained between the study groups. The microbiological study of groups 2 and 3 yielded statistically significant differences in the performance of the antibacterial foam in relation to the Enterobacteriaceae family, the Streptococcus family, the Gardnerella vaginalis + Prevotella bivia + microorganism group of the Porphyromonas family, the Peptostreptococcus family, the Candida family, namely, a decrease in their number, according to the quartile analysis. Conclusions. The use of antibacterial foam containing cetylpyridinium chloride in combination with the use of a tongue scraper significantly improves the hygienic condition of the tongue and the composition of the microflora.