Anti-cariogenic effect of a cetylpyridinium chloride-containing nanoemulsion

Objectives: The aim of this pilot study was to investigate the anticaries activity of a nanoemulsion composed of soybean oil, water, Triton X-100 and cetylpyridinium chloride. Methods: Tooth blocks (3 mm length × 3 mm width × 2 mm thickness) were cut from smooth surfaces of selected molar teeth using a water-cooled diamond wire saw. The blocks were randomly assigned to three experimental groups: (A) nanoemulsion, (B) 0.12% chlorhexidine gluconate, and (C) no treatment. The formation of dental caries in human tooth enamel was tested using a continuous flow dual-organism (Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus casei), biofilm model, which acts as an artificial mouth and simulates the biological and physiological activities observed within the oral environment. Experimental groups A and B were treated with their respective solutions once daily for 30 s on each occasion, while group C received no treatment. 10% sucrose was supplied every 6 h for 6 min to simulate meals and pH cycling. The experiment lasted for 5 days, and the tooth blocks were harvested and processed for demineralization assessment using transverse microradiography (TMR). Results: For both lesion depth and mineral loss, statistical analysis indicated that Emulsion was significantly lower than Control and Chlorhexidine, and Chlorhexidine was significantly lower than Control. Conclusions: We conclude that cetylpyridinium-containing nanoemulsions appear to present a feasible means of preventing the occurrence of early caries.