Can coconut oil manage periodontal pathogens?

In a study published in Clinical Oral Investigations, the researchers randomly assigned 30 patients with periodontitis to rinse with either coconut oil, chlorhexidine or placebo. They collected saliva and gingival crevicular fluid samples prior to and one month following treatment as well as one month following nonsurgical periodontal therapy. The researchers conducted next-generation sequencing analysis and quantification of inflammatory markers to assess shifts in pathogenic bacteria and biomarkers such as interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha.

The researchers found that the patients who received coconut oil demonstrated declines in pathogenic bacteria like Spirochaetaceae and Tannerellaceae as well as increases in beneficial bacteria such as Streptococcaceae. In addition, the patients in both the coconut oil and chlorhexidine groups exhibited improvements in their subgingival microbial dysbiosis index and the patients in the coconut oil group showed reductions in their IL-6 and TNF-alpha levels.

The findings highlighted the potential of coconut oil to serve as an alternative to chlorhexidine in periodontal care. The researchers emphasized coconut oil’s ability to modulate the oral bacteriome and mitigate local inflammation in this patient population but noted that: “[L]arger and long-term clinical studies are needed to assess [coconut oil’s] extended effects on the oral microbiome and periodontal health.”

Read more: Clinical Oral Investigations

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