Ozonated water an adjunct to tooth brushing and flossing. Myth or reality?

The average concentration of dental plaque microorganisms in an adult with average condition of oral hygiene is about 2.5 X 10cells/g. The marginal gingiva alone harbours more than 325 cultivable bacterial species [1]. Up till a decade ago, an estimated 50% of the bacterial cells in plaque were yet to be cultured [2]. Most forms of oral diseases occur because of excessive accumulation of plaque. This leads to disturbance in the colonization resistance mechanism, which discourages attachment of exogenous microorganisms to the tooth surface [3]. Tooth brushing is the most common self-performed plaque control method. Its efficiency depends on the user’s manual dexterity, age and motivation towards oral hygiene. Studies have shown that tooth brushing alone cannot adequately remove plaque from all the surfaces of teeth, especially the interdental area [4].