Willy Bustillos TorrezLuciene Cristina FigueiredoThalita Dias Silva SantosGeisla Mary Silva SoaresJoão Marcos Spessoto PingueiroHélio Doyle Pereira da SilvaZilson MalheirosBernal StewartMagda FeresBruno Bueno‐Silva2026-03-222026-03-22202310.1080/08927014.2022.2160242https://doi.org/10.1080/08927014.2022.2160242https://andeanlibrary.org/handle/123456789/51566Citaciones: 3This study evaluated the effect of a mouthwash containing 0.075% cetylpyridinium chloride and 0.28% zinc lactate (CPC + Zn) in a multispecies biofilm model. A 7-days 33-species biofilm, formed on Calgary device, was 1-min treated with: 0.12% chlorhexidine (CHX), culture medium (negative control), 0.075% cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) or CPC + Zn, 2x/day, from day 3 until day 6. The metabolic activity and the microbial composition were evaluated by colorimetric method and checkerboard DNA-DNA hybridization, respectively. The three antimicrobials (CPC, CPC + Zn and CHX) reduced metabolic activity, total biofilm count and several species counts, including <i>Porphyromonas gingivalis</i>, <i>Fusobacterium nucleatum</i>, <i>Parvimonas micra</i>, <i>Campylobacter gracili</i>s and <i>Streptococcus mutans</i>. However, only CPC + Zn reduced counts of the pathogen <i>Prevotella intermedia</i> and did not interfere with the levels of some beneficial species in relation to the negative control. The treatment of multispecies subgingival biofilm with CPC + Zn was effective in controlling periodontal pathogens and favored the colonization of health-associated bacterial species.enCetylpyridinium chlorideFusobacterium nucleatumBiofilmPrevotella intermediaMicrobiologyStreptococcus mutansChemistryPorphyromonas gingivalisZincChlorhexidinearticle