An Oxymetazoline-Based Nasal Solution Removes Bacteria-Blood Debris on Dental Surfaces and Has Antimicrobial Activity Toward Streptococcus mutans.

BACKGROUND: An over-the-counter vasoconstrictive nasal solution with oxymetazoline (NS-OXY, 0.05%) has the potential to be used as a dental pulpal hemostatic medicament. A molecular engineering approach examined NS-OXY and its molecular constituent's antimicrobial and blood biomass removal efficacy.

METHODS: An ex vivo cavity model was developed where standardized prepared teeth were exposed overnight to a model dentinal caries pathogen, S. mutans, and then exposed to sheep's blood for 10 min, which simulated a pulpal exposure. Cavity preparations were rinsed with OXY (0.05%), benzalkonium chloride (BKC-0.025%), NS-OXY (with OXY-0.05% and BKC), ferric sulfate (20%;ViscoStat, FS), and distilled water (DI). For examining the bactericidal effect of NS-OXY, a disk diffusion antimicrobial assay was used where S. mutans was grown (20 h) on brain heart infusion (BHI) w/0.5% glucose agar plates and exposed to the treatment groups.

RESULTS: NS-OXY-treated samples had a lower residual bacterial or blood biomass than FS ( p = 0.003). The diffusion test showed that NS-OXY, BKC, and FS had zones of inhibition greater than 10 mm, with NS-OXY having higher activity against S. mutans than FS ( p = 0.0002), but lower than BKC ( p = 0.0082).

CONCLUSIONS: NS-OXY may be considered as a dental hemostatic agent after traumatic and carious pulpal exposure owing to NS-OXY's antimicrobial and vasoconstrictive properties.