INTRODUCTION
Oral health is the reflection of one’s general health and wellbeing. Dental health is an integral part of general health. While considering the oral cavity, the dental caries is one of the most common microbial infectioninfections which still remainsremain a challenge. It’s claimed that the main cause of dental caries is attributed to oral biofilm, also known as dental plaque [1]. The initiation of plaque formation begins with the formation of salivary pellicle on the tooth surface and subsequently progresses through the growth of bacteria and inter bacterial adherence, which would finally resultsresult in the destruction of hard enamel tissue [2]. The oral flora comprises of a plethora of microbial population and contains 350 cultivable species which are beneficial [3]. The imbalance between the preventive aspects and increased prevalence of the disease finally resulted in an enormous burden on the society.
Dental caries is an irreversible disease which affects both organic and inorganic componentcomponents of the tooth structure. The advent of researches in the identification of the specific causative micro-organisms, mutans Streptococci were incriminated as the initiators of dental caries [3]. Reducing Streptococci load in the oral cavity is a practical step to lower the incidence of dental caries [4]. Researches done in this direction have given us many plaque control agents, which has a promising antimicrobial action.
Mouthwashes are used in dentistry for prevention and therapeutic purpose acts by chemo mechanical action, among which Chlorhexidine is the most potent chemotherapeutic agent and it is considered as the gold standard in reducing mutans streptococci, as well as in controlling plaque. In lower concentration it is bacteriostatic, and at higher concentration it is bactericidal.