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Johansson E, Claesson R et al. J Dent 2009; 37: 449–453

Ozone is a highly unstable form of oxygen. Ozone therapy may reduce the numbers of caries-associated micro-organisms and may have a particularly role in arresting root surface caries. Suspensions of laboratory strains of Actinomyces naeslundii, Lactobacilli casei and Streptococcus mutans, in either a salt buffer or in saliva, were exposed to ozone gas. At least two thirds of each of the bacterial species were killed after a 10 second exposure and 99% after 60 seconds. In saliva, S. mutans and L. casei were less efficiently killed but at least 95% could not be recovered after a 60 second exposure (no data given for A. naeslundii). In a separate experiment using SDS-PAGE electrophoresis, 'almost no individual protein bands' were observed after a 60 second exposure of saliva to ozone. This would imply that ozone alters salivary proteins.