Effectiveness of Calcium Phosphate and Plant Extract Mixtures as Natural Dentifrices

This study investigates the effects of calcium phosphates and local plant extracts on the oral flora as naturally available ingredients for dentifrices. Effective compositions of two calcium phosphate minerals (hydroxyapatite and monetite) to serve as abrasive particles and extracts of plants (olive, fig, juniper, mastic, geranium, blueberry leaves, pomegranate peel and juniper fruit) obtained from Aegean region to serve as antibacterial agents in the as prepared natural dentifrices were investigated by mechanical (Vickers microhardness) and biological (minimum inhibitory concentrations from UV-spectrophotometry) tests. Within this framework, surface hardness of synthetic hydroxyapatite disks immersed in Lactobacillus casei cell culture was measured before and after periodic brushing with dentifrices containing calcium phosphates and plant extracts. Also in vitro serial dilution test was applied to plant extracts using Streptococcus mutans cell culture to determine their antibacterial activity. The results point to an optimum composition of 3 part monetite to 1 part hydroxyapatite powder mixtures and blueberry or geranium leaf extracts at their minimum inhibitory concentrations for highest hardness, i.e. lowest caries formation.