OBJECTIVE: This investigation aimed to develop a novel antibacterial dental adhesive containing nanoantibacterial inorganic fillers and measure the dentin bonding strength, mechanical properties, and antibacterial property of the novel adhesive in vitro. METHODS: Novel nanoantibacterial inorganic fillers containing quaternary ammonium salt with long chain alkyl were synthesized on the basis of previous research. These novel nanoantibacterial inorganic fillers were added into the dental adhesive to prepare novel nanoantibacterial dental resin composite at mass fractions of 0%, 2.5%, 5.0%, 7.5%, and 10%; 0% was used as control. Dentin shear bonding test was used to evaluate the bonding strength. Flexural test was utilized to measure the novel resin composite flexural strength and elastic modulus. A dental plaque microcosm biofilm model with human saliva as inoculum was formed. Colony forming unit, lactic acid production, and live/dead assay of the biofilm on novel dental adhesive were calculated to assess the effect of novel dental adhesive on human dental plaque microcosm biofilm. RESULTS: The dentin shear bond strength, flexural strength, and elastic modulus were 28.9 MPa, 86.6 MPa, and 4.2 GPa, respectively, when the nanoantibacterial inorganic filler mass fraction in the dental adhesive reached approximately 5.0%. Consequently, the dentin shear bond strength and mechanical properties significantly increased. Addition of 2.5% nanoantibacterial inorganic fillers into the dental adhesive exerted no adverse effect on the mechanical properties significantly (P>0.05). Dental adhesive containing 5% or more nanoantibacterial inorganic fillers inhibited the metabolic activity of the dental plaque microcosm biofilm significantly, thereby displaying a strong antibacterial potency (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS This novel antibacterial dental adhesive, which contained 5.0% nanoantibacterial inorganic filler, exhibited promising bonding strength, mechanical property, and antibacterial ability. Hence, this adhesive can be potentially used in caries inhibition in dental application.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Biofilms ; Dental Bonding ; Dental Cements ; Dental Plaque ; prevention & control ; Humans ; Materials Testing ; Methacrylates ; Resin Cements ; Shear Strength

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the effect of chewing sugar-free gum after sucrose challenge on dental plaque pH in situ.

METHODS16 healthy volunteers aged 23 - 32 years were screened as subjects. The pH of 48-hour dental plaque was measured using a Beetrode pH microelectrode when subjects chewed Extra sugar-free gum after sucrose challenge.

RESULTSDental plaque pH maintained at resting plaque pH when immediately chewed sugar-free gum after sucrose challenge. Chewing sugar-free gum at 5 min after sucrose challenge, dental plaque pH was raised from 5.59 (measured at 5 min after sucrose challenge) to 6.98 (measured at 10 min after sucrose challenge).

CONCLUSIONSChewing sugar-free gum after sucrose challenge can neutralize organic acid produced by bacteria in dental plaque and rapidly rise plaque pH.

Adult ; Chewing Gum ; Dental Plaque ; metabolism ; prevention & control ; Female ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Male ; Sucrose

OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of the IgY solution on dental plaque and mutans Streptococci in plaque and in saliva.

METHODSA double-blind study was used. 44 school children at the third grade in test group used the IgY solution for 21 days; 41 children in control group used the placebo. The plaque index, the plaque weight, the level of mutans streptococci in saliva and in plaque were tested for all children.

RESULTSThe plaque weight in test group was (46.4 +/- 31.2) mg at baseline, and (36.6 +/- 25.6) mg at the end of the study (P = 0.007). The IgY solution reduced 21.1% plaque weight. Statistically significant differences for other indices were not shown in this study.

CONCLUSIONThe 0.1% IgY solution reduces the mass of plaque on the tooth surfaces.

Child ; Dental Plaque ; prevention & control ; Double-Blind Method ; Humans ; Immunoglobulins ; administration & dosage ; Solutions

PURPOSE: To examine the effect of tooth-brushing education on the oral health of preschoolers. METHODS: A quasi-experimental design with a non-equivalent control group was used. Two kindergartens were selected and 39 preschoolers from one kindergarten were assigned to the experimental group with tooth-brushing education and 39 from the other kindergarten to the control group. The tooth-brushing education program included 1 session on oral health education, individual tooth-brushing instruction for 1 week and supervised tooth-brushing after lunch for 4 weeks. Oral health behavior including use of tooth paste, tooth-brushing time and method of tooth-brushing, plague, streptococcus mutans, lactobacillus and dental caries were measured before and after the education. Fisher's exact test, t-test and paired t-test with the Window SAS 9.1 program were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: A significant increase in the use of tooth paste, tooth-brushing time and the practice of correct tooth-brushing and a decrease in plague and development of dental caries were observed in the experimental group. CONCLUSION: This tooth-brushing education was partially effective in improving oral health of preschoolers.
Child, Preschool ; DMF Index ; Dental Caries/prevention & control ; Dental Plaque/prevention & control ; Female ; *Health Education, Dental ; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice ; Humans ; Male ; *Oral Health ; Oral Hygiene ; Toothbrushing/*utilization

Since the initial observations of oral bacteria within dental plaque by van Leeuwenhoek using his primitive microscopes in 1680, an event that is generally recognized as the advent of oral microbiological investigation, oral microbiology has gone through phases of "reductionism" and "holism". From the small beginnings of the Miller and Black period, in which microbiologists followed Koch's postulates, took the reductionist approach to try to study the complex oral microbial community by analyzing individual species; to the modern era when oral researchers embrace "holism" or "system thinking", adopt new concepts such as interspecies interaction, microbial community, biofilms, poly-microbial diseases, oral microbiological knowledge has burgeoned and our ability to identify the resident organisms in dental plaque and decipher the interactions between key components has rapidly increased, such knowledge has greatly changed our view of the oral microbial flora, provided invaluable insight into the etiology of dental and periodontal diseases, opened the door to new approaches and techniques for developing new therapeutic and preventive tools for combating oral polymicrobial diseases.
Bacteria ; classification ; Bacterial Infections ; prevention & control ; Bacterial Physiological Phenomena ; Biofilms ; Dental Plaque ; microbiology ; Humans ; Mouth ; microbiology ; Periodontal Diseases ; microbiology ; prevention & control ; Tooth Diseases ; microbiology ; prevention & control

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the dynamic changes of Streptococcus mutans concentration of plaque during fixed appliance treatment and the effects of two materials of ligation on Streptococcus mutans concentration.

METHODSTwenty-eight patients undergoing fixed appliance treatment were observed. Ligature wire and elastomeric rings were applied on one side of arches, stochastically. The dynamic changes on the quantity and percentage of Streptococcus mutans were observed before and after fixed appliance bonding.

RESULTSStatistically significant increase of the quantity and percentage of Streptococcus mutans was found after fixed appliance bonding, and the percentage of Streptococcus mutans in the plaque around the brackets ligated with elastomeric rings was more than that of ligature wire at the beginning of fixed appliance bonding, statistically.

CONCLUSIONSThe finding suggested that the caries-associated capability of the plaque increased after bonding and there was greater caries-associated capability of the plague on the teeth when elastomeric rings was used than that of the plague when ligature wire was used at treatment beginning. The ligature wire is recommended in the fixed appliance treatment.

Adolescent ; Bacterial Adhesion ; Child ; Colony Count, Microbial ; Dental Caries ; prevention & control ; Dental Plaque ; microbiology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Orthodontic Appliances ; microbiology ; Orthodontic Brackets ; microbiology ; Streptococcus mutans ; physiology

Alkali production by oral bacteria is believed to have a major impact on oral microbial ecology and to be inhibitory to the initiation and progression of dental caries. A substantial body of evidence is beginning to accumulate that indicates the modulation of the alkalinogenic potential of dental biofilms may be a promising strategy for caries control. This brief review highlights recent progress toward understanding molecular genetic and physiologic aspects of important alkali-generating pathways in oral bacteria, and the role of alkali production in the ecology of dental biofilms in health and disease.
Agmatine ; metabolism ; Alkalies ; metabolism ; Arginine ; metabolism ; Dental Caries ; prevention & control ; Dental Plaque ; enzymology ; metabolism ; microbiology ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Hydrolases ; metabolism ; Urease ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo develop a resin composite incorporated with nano-antibacterial inorganic filler containing long-chain alkyl quaternary ammonium salt, and to measure its effect on human dental plaque microcosm biofilm.

METHODSA novel nano-antibacterial inorganic filler containing long-chain alkyl quaternary ammonium salt was synthesized according to methods introduced in previous research. Samples of the novel nano-antibacterial inorganic fillers were modified by a coupling agent and then added into resin composite at 0%, 5%, 10%, 15% or 20% mass fractions; 0% composite was used as control. A flexural test was used to measure resin composite mechanical properties. Results showed that a dental plaque microcosm biofilm model with human saliva as inoculum was formed. Colony-forming unit (CFU) counts, lactic acid production, and live/dead assay of biofilm on the resin composite were calculated to test the effect of the resin composite on human dental plaque microcosm biofilm.

RESULTSThe incorporation of nano-antibacterial inorganic fillers with as much as 15% concentration into the resin composite showed no adverse effect on the mechanical properties of the resin composite (P > 0.05). Resin composite containing 5% or more nano-antibacterial inorganic fillers significantly inhibited the metabolic activity of dental plaque microcosm biofilm, suggesting its strong antibacterial potency (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThis novel resin composite exhibited a strong antibacterial property upon the addition of up to 5% nano-antibacterial inorganic fillers, thereby leading to effective caries inhibition in dental application.

Anti-Bacterial Agents ; pharmacology ; Biofilms ; drug effects ; Composite Resins ; chemistry ; Dental Caries ; prevention & control ; Dental Plaque ; Humans ; Lactic Acid ; Quaternary Ammonium Compounds ; pharmacology ; Saliva

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the effects of mothers' involvement in a dental health program for their elementary school children. METHODS: This study was a non-equivalent control group pre-post test design in which knowledge and behaviors related to dental health, perceived benefits and barriers, self-efficacy and plaque control scores were compared between the experimental group (n=26) for whom the dental health program included the direct involvement of the mothers, and the control group (n=24) for whom knowledge related to dental health was provided through brochures. RESULTS: Scores for the experimental group in which the mothers were involved in the dental health program were significantly higher for knowledge, behaviors in dental health, self-efficacy and plaque control compared to the control group. CONCLUSION: Results of this study suggest that mothers involvement in the dental health program is effective in reinforcing dental health enhancing behavior in elementary school children.
Child ; Dental Caries ; Dental Plaque/prevention & control ; Female ; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice ; Humans ; Male ; Mothers/*psychology ; *Oral Health ; Pamphlets ; Program Evaluation ; Self Efficacy

PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the effects of oral hygiene care by oral professionals on periodontal health in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Diabetic participants were recruited at a university hospital and matched at a 1:1 ratio by age and gender, and randomly allocated into intervention (40 people) and control groups (35 people). Tooth brushing instruction, oral health education, and supra-gingival scaling were implemented in all patients at baseline. This program was repeatedly conducted in intervention patients every month for 6 months, and twice at baseline and the sixth month in the control. Oral health was measured by decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT), plaque index, calculus index, bleeding index, patient hygiene performance (PHP) index, tooth mobility, Russel's periodontal index, and community periodontal index (CPI). Diabetes-related factors, oral and general health behaviors, and sociodemographic factors were interviewed as other confounding factors. An analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used with SPSS for Windows 14.0. RESULTS: At baseline, there were no significant differences between the two groups in average of periodontal health (calculus index, bleeding index, Russel's periodontal index, CPI, and tooth mobility), diabetes-related factors (fasting blood glucose, postprandial blood glucose, and HbA1c), and in distribution of sociodemographic factors and health behaviors. In intervention group, plaque index, dental calculus index, bleeding index, and PHP index were reduced fairly and steadily from the baseline. There were significant differences in plaque index, dental calculus index, bleeding index, PHP index, and Russel's periodontal index between the two groups at sixth month after adjusted for baseline status. CONCLUSION: Intensive oral hygiene care can persistently improve oral inflammation status and could slow periodontal deterioration.
Adult ; Aged ; Dental Plaque Index ; *Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; Female ; Gingivitis/*prevention & control ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Oral Hygiene/education/*methods ; Periodontal Diseases/*prevention & control