Electrolyzed Water Kills Oral Bacteria But May Harm Healthy Cells

TL;DR

Electrolyzed water (EW) effectively kills dental plaque bacteria but can also harm human cells, with effects varying by cell type and exposure time.

Key Finding

Electrolyzed water significantly inhibited the growth of oral pathogenic bacteria across all pH levels tested, with the strongest effect against Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, but also showed variable cytotoxic effects on human cells depending on exposure time and cell type.

Summary

Researchers tested electrolyzed water (water treated with electrical current) at different acidity levels to see if it could kill bacteria that cause dental plaque and gum disease. The water successfully killed several types of oral bacteria, but it also damaged human cells in the lab—with the damage varying depending on how long the cells were exposed and which type of cells were tested. This suggests electrolyzed water could be useful for oral health, but the right conditions would need to be carefully worked out before using it in people's mouths.

Practical Takeaway

While this laboratory study suggests electrolyzed water may have antimicrobial properties relevant to oral health, it was conducted only in cell cultures, not in humans or even in mouths. The fact that the water damaged human cells at certain exposure times raises safety concerns that would need to be addressed before any practical application. Much more research, including human studies, would be needed to determine if electrolyzed water could be safely used as an oral rinse or treatment.

Abstract (excerpt)

Background: Microbial plaque-induced oral diseases are among the most common diseases worldwide. The present study aimed to compare the antimicrobial effect of electrolyzed water (EW), (acidic, mildly basic, and basic) on the growth of bacterial species producing dental plaque and to assess…

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