Background: Essential oils (EOs) have a considerable amount of therapeutic and preventive effect in treating dental diseases due to their wider potential as antibacterial and anti-inflammatory agents. EOs like virgin coconut oil, eucalyptus oil, peppermint oil thyme oil, and clove oil, when used in combination, may further have enhanced antimicrobial effects. However, limited information exists on the synergistic effect of these oils when used in combination, especially on the primary periodontal pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis.
Aim: The current study aims to compare the antimicrobial efficacy of commercially available EO on the periodontal pathogen, P. gingivalis, in comparison to chlorhexidine (CHX).
Materials and methods: Antimicrobial efficacy of EO and CHX was assessed at various concentrations against the periodontal pathogen P. gingivalis, by evaluating the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC).
Results: P. gingivalis was seen to be sensitive at a MIC of 100 μg/ml and 50 μg/ml concentration of the EO, which is regarded as the MIC of EO against P. gingivalis and CHX effectively inhibited microbial growth at 0.4 μg/ml.
Conclusion: A combination of EOs possesses a potent antibacterial activity against P. gingivalis, and the antibacterial efficacy increases with increasing concentration of EOs.
Keywords: Clove oil; MIC; P. gingivalis; essential oil; eugenol oil; virgin coconut oil.