JMM Editor’s Choice: developing an antimicrobial dental floss

Posted on March 12, 2020   by Microbiology Society

The Journal of Medical Microbiology (JMM) is a journal published by the Microbiology Society, focused on providing comprehensive coverage of medical, dental and veterinary microbiology and infectious diseases, including bacteriology, virology, mycology and parasitology. This month, Professor Vincent Cattoir discusses the paper ‘Dental floss impregnated with povidone-iodine coated with Eudragit L-100 as an antimicrobial delivery system against periodontal-associated pathogens’, which was selected as Editor’s Choice from the February issue of JMM.  

“This interesting study describes the optimisation of povidone-iodine (PVP-I) coating formulations using a response-surface methodology for the development of dental floss with antimicrobial activity against periodontitis-associated bacteria. The authors used a large panel of assays to validate the most potent formulation against biofilm-embedded bacteria while they also demonstrated its low mammalian cytotoxicity. This novel antimicrobial delivery system could constitute a non-toxic therapeutic approach for the prevention and treatment of periodontal diseases.”

Dental floss impregnated with povidone-iodine coated with Eudragit L-100 as an antimicrobial delivery system against periodontal-associated pathogens

Periodontitis is one of the most common human diseases and involves inflammation of the gums caused by bacterial infection. As much as 20% of the world’s population is affected by periodontitis and in an effort to reduce the public health burden of this disease, a dental floss that could be used to treat periodontitis was developed. The floss was impregnated with povidone-iodine and acts as an antimicrobial delivery system against the bacteria that cause periodontitis (also known as periodontopathogenic bacteria).

The floss was found to have antimicrobial activity against all periodontopathogenic bacteria tested and shows potential as a therapeutic agent against periodontal diseases.