Overview

• Rutgers researchers tested the herbal StellaLife VEGA Oral Care rinse against prescription-strength chlorhexidine and Listerine Cool Mint in laboratory biofilm models.
• StellaLife VEGA significantly reduced harmful bacteria such as Fusobacterium nucleatum and Porphyromonas gingivalis while sparing beneficial species like Streptococcus oralis and Veillonella parvula.
• In contrast, chlorhexidine and Listerine eliminated both pathogenic and protective microbes indiscriminately, with chlorhexidine reducing some beneficial populations by up to a million-fold.
• Investigators are planning randomized clinical trials to measure outcomes such as cavity formation, gum inflammation and shifts in the oral microbiome.
• This targeted antimicrobial strategy aims to maintain microbial diversity and may avoid potential systemic risks linked to broad-spectrum antiseptic mouthwash use.