# Comparative Study of Ozonated Olive Oil and Extra Virgin Olive Oil Effects on Oral Hygiene
## 4 Discussion  
The oral cavity can be represented as an open ecosystem, able to guarantee a constant dynamic balance between the penetration of bacterial, viral, or fungal microorganisms and their colonization methods, nutritional balance, and established defenses against removal. The antimicrobial effects and anti-inflammatory properties of ozonated olive oil have been demonstrated in several studies [11; 12]. In dental practice, there is a multitude of treatment options available for all oral lesions and conditions. The use of ozonated olive oil is a minimally invasive technique that can be used for these conditions without side effects [5]. Our study shows that the use of ozonated olive oil in oral hygiene has beneficial effects. By decreasing the values of oral indices in patients who used ozonated olive oil, it is confirmed that it is one of the good products to use in oral hygiene. Antimicrobial activity varies from one microorganism to another and from one essential oil to another, but is always dose-dependent [3; 4; 11]. It is strictly related to the chemical composition and concentration of their constituents, which do not depend only on the species, but also on other factors such as the origin of the plant, the part used, the stage of development, growth (temperature, soil, fertilizers, etc. ), distillation and storage conditions [12; 13; 14; 15]. The antimicrobial activity, reflected by the index value, depends on the chemical composition. The mechanism of action of essential oils against microorganisms is complex and has not yet been well clarified because it depends on various factors: the type of antimicrobial potency of different essential oils which in turn depends on their chemical composition and therefore on their predominantly hydrophilic or lipophilic characteristics; according to the type of microorganisms and is mainly related to the structure of their cell wall [16; 17; 18]. Due to the variability of the amounts and components of essential oils, it is very likely that their antimicrobial activity is not due to a single mechanism, but to different modes of action at the cellular level [19]. A series of research shows that ozonated oil is an antiseptic and Gram-negative bacteria have proven to be more sensitive to ozonated olive oil than Gram-positive ones [20; 21] [PERSON] et al demonstrated that ozonated water strongly inhibits plaque accumulation in vitro, with high efficacy against Gram-positive and negative oral microorganisms [22; 23; 24]. Also, the potential antimicrobial activity has been investigated against Streptococcus mutans, Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Candida albicans with great effectiveness regarding the use of ozonated olive oil [22]. An important characteristic of essential oil components is actually their hydrophobicity, which allows essential oils to partition between bacterial or fungal cell membrane lipids and mitochondria, altering cell structures and thus making them more permeable. Ozone, in the early oxidizing process, attacks glycoproteins and other amino acids, and inhibits the enzyme control system of the main cells by creating permeability in the membranes due to ozone [13]. Excessive losses of ions and molecules from the microbial cell will inevitably lead to death [23; 24; 25]. Essential oils appear to act predominantly with structural and functional changes in fungal membranes, leading to cytoplasmic dispersion and cell death. There is therefore a blockage of membrane synthesis, inhibition of germination, reproduction, and cellular respiration [26]. The ozonation reaction applied to olive oil arises from the need to \"deposit\" ozone in a biological substrate compatible with biological tissues capable of maintaining unchanged the therapeutic properties of the molecule and its intermediates [27]. The ozonated oil used in the topical modality represents an absolutely non-invasive intervention technique that can also be used for various clinical conditions without presenting unwanted side effects.