• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.190-199
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• 2021

Despite evidence that bacteria-sensing Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are activated in salivary gland tissues of Sjogren syndrome (SS) patients, the role of oral bacteria in SS etiopathogenesis is unclear. We previously reported that two SS-associated oral bacteria, Prevotella melaninogenica (Pm) and Rothia mucilagenosa (Rm), oppositely regulate the expression of major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC I) in human salivary gland (HSG) cells. Here, we elucidated the mechanisms underlying the differential regulation of MHC I expression by these bacteria. The ability of Pm and Rm to activate TLR2, TLR4, and TLR9 was examined using TLR reporter cells. HSG cells were stimulated by the TLR ligands, Pm, and Rm. The levels of MHC I expression, bacterial invasion, and viability of HSG cells were examined by flow cytometry. The hypoxic status of HSG cells was examined using Hypoxia Green. HSG cells upregulated MHC I expression in response to TLR2, TLR4, and TLR9 activation. Both Pm and Rm activated TLR2 and TLR9 but not TLR4. Rm-induced downregulation of MHC I strongly correlated with bacterial invasion and cell death. Rm-induced cell death was not rescued by inhibitors of the diverse cell death pathways but was associated with hypoxia. In conclusion, Pm upregulated MHC I likely through TLR2 and TLR9 activation, while Rm-induced hypoxia-associated cell death and the downregulation of MHC I, despite its ability to activate TLR2 and TLR9. These findings may provide new insight into how oral dysbiosis can contribute to salivary gland tissue damage in SS.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.364-366
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• 2004

The purpose of this work was to investigate the effect oftea catechin, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) on killing of oral bacteria. The antibacterial activity of 2.5 mg/ml and 5.0 mg/ml EGCG was investigated for target bacteria of which initial cell number was approximately adjusted to $10^{7}ml$. The antibacterial activity of EGCG was proportional to the concentration according to colony-forming unit(CFU) of target bacteria enumerating on selective and complex media. Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sobrinus at 5mg/ml EGCG were completely killed within 8 hrs. Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactobacillus acidophilus were also killed within 2 hrs and 4 hrs under the same conditions, respectively. Oral bacteria at 2.5 mg/ml EGCG were completely killed within 10 hr. Colony numvers of S. mitis and S. salivarius treated with 2.5 mg/ml EGCG were decreased on MS solid media and no colony was observed on the media within 12 hrs. In consequence, EGCG would be a natural and effective compound that kill oral bacteria being caused of bad breath, plaque and gingivitis, and for preventing and treating dental caries.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.9-18
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• 2023

The rapid detection of bacteria in the oral cavity, its species identification, and bacterial count determination are important to diagnose oral diseases caused by pathogenic bacteria. The existing clinical microbial diagnosis methods are time-consuming as they involve observing patients' samples under a microscope or culturing and confirming bacteria using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) kits, making the process complex. Therefore, it is required to analyze the development status of substances and systems that can rapidly detect and analyze pathogenic microorganisms in the oral cavity. With research advancements, a close relationship between oral and systemic diseases has been identified, making it crucial to identify the changes in the oral cavity bacterial composition. Additionally, an early and accurate diagnosis is essential for better prognosis in periodontal disease. However, most periodontal disease-causing pathogens are anaerobic bacteria, which are difficult to identify using conventional bacterial culture methods. Further, the existing PCR method takes a long time to detect and involves complicated stages. Therefore, to address these challenges, the concept of point-of-care (PoC) has emerged, leading to the study and implementation of various chair-side test methods. This study aims to investigate the different PoC diagnostic methods introduced thus far for identifying pathogenic microorganisms in the oral cavity. These are classified into three categories: 1) microbiological tests, 2) microchemical tests, and 3) genetic tests. The microbiological tests are used to determine the presence or absence of representative causative bacteria of periodontal diseases, such as A. actinomycetemcomitans, P. gingivalis, P. intermedia, and T. denticola. However, the quantitative analysis remains impossible, and detecting pathogens other than the specific ones is challenging. The microchemical tests determine the activity of inflammation or disease by measuring the levels of biomarkers present in the oral cavity. Although this diagnostic method is based on increase in the specific biomarkers proportional to inflammation or disease progression in the oral cavity, its commercialization is limited due to low sensitivity and specificity. The genetic tests are based on the concept that differences in disease vulnerability and treatment response are caused by the patient's DNA predisposition. Specifically, the IL-1 gene is used in such tests. PoC diagnostic methods developed to date serve as supplementary diagnostic methods and tools for patient education, in addition to existing diagnostic methods, although they have limitations in diagnosing oral diseases alone. Research on various PoC test methods that can analyze and manage the oral cavity bacterial composition is expected to become more active, aligning with the shift from treatment-oriented to prevention-oriented approaches in healthcare.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.60-68
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• 2018

This study investigates the relationship between smoking and periodontal disease through quantitative analysis of intra-buccal oral pathogenic bacteria detected in smokers and aims to yield objective baseline data for applications in anti-smoking and dental health education programs. From April to May 2016, participants in an oral health management program within an intensive dental hygiene training course at Choonhae College of Health Sciences received an explanation of the study purposes and methods, after which male smokers aged 18~30 years agreed to participate voluntarily. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis of oral pathogenic bacteria was performed after collecting gingival sulcus fluid samples from 67 smokers. The intra-buccal oral pathogenic bacteria distributions were analyzed based on the subjects' general characteristics, smoking behaviors, and oral care behaviors. The distribution results show that pathogens in the anterior teeth are affected (in this order) by age, toothbrush size, and smoking status; older people had fewer pathogens, those who used larger toothbrushes had more pathogens, and smokers had more pathogens, compared to non-smokers ($_{adj}R^2=19.1$). In the posterior teeth, pathogens were influenced (in this order) by smoking status, smoking duration, and the number of tooth brushings per day; smokers had more pathogens than non-smokers, and those who brushed their teeth more often had fewer pathogens ($_{adj}R^2=25.1$). The overall pathogen distribution was affected only by smoking status: smokers generally had more pathogens, compared to non-smokers. Therefore, it is necessary to provide information about the risk of periodontal disease due to smoking during anti-smoking or dental health education sessions; particularly, the use of smaller toothbrushes for anterior teeth and the need for smokers in their early twenties to quit smoking for dental health should be highly emphasized.

• Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.170-180
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• 1997

Cariogenicity of the bacteria is attributed to their binding capacity to the teeth. Bacterial attachment to oral surfaces is an essential step for colonization and subsequently infection. Therefore, it is conceivable that caries prevention can be achieved fundamentally by inhibition of bacterial attachment. The rationale for caries prevention through the use of sugar substitutes or limited use of sugar has been revealed. Among many sugar substitutes, xylitol has been shown to exhibit the most profound cariostatic effect, inhibiting glucose metabolism and possibly binding of mutans streptococci. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of xylitol on binding of different species of oral bacteria. The effect of xylitol on binding of [$^3H$]-labeled oral bacteria to hydroxyapatite coated with human saliva(SHA) as a model for the pellicle-coated tooth surfaces was investigated. The strains of oral bacteria used in this study were A. viscosus T14V, A. viscosus WVU627, P. gingivaiis 2561, P. gingivalis A7Al-28, S. gordonii G9B, S. gordonii Challis, S. sobrinus 6715, S. mutans UA101, S. mutans KPSK -2, S. mutans T8, and S. mutans UA130. The obtained results were as follows: 1. P. gingivalis A7 Al-28, S. mutans UA130, S. mutans T8 grown with xylitol showed greater binding to SHA than the organism grown without xylitol. Among these, S. mutans T8 showed the greatest rate of increase in its binding to SHA ; 8-fold increase in its binding with xylitol. 2. S. mutans KPSK -2 grown with xylitol showed 2 times lesser binding to SHA than the organism grown without xylitol. 3. Binding ability of the remaining strains grown with xylitol to SHA was almost same as that of the organisms grown without xylitol. The overall results suggest that use of xylitol in the oral cavity may affect the complex oral bacterial ecosystem.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.203-207
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• 2010

A number of bacterial species coexist in oral cavities as a biofilm rather than a planktonic arrangement. By forming an oral biofilm with quorum sensing properties, microorganisms can develop a higher pathogenic potential and stronger resistance to the host immune system and antibiotics. Hence, the inhibition of biofilm formation has become a major research issue for the future prevention and treatment of oral diseases. In this study, we investigated the effects of pentose on biofilm formation and phenotypic changes using wild type oral bacteria obtained from healthy human saliva. D-ribose and D-arabinose were found to inhibit biofilm formation, but have no effects on the growth of each oral bacterium tested. Pentoses may thus be good candidate biofilm inhibitors without growth-inhibition activity and be employed for the future prevention or treatment of oral diseases.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.23-37
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• 2009

The antibacterial effect of phytoncide on Porphyromonas gingivalis, which is the main causative agent of periodontal disease and halitosis, has been reported. However, little is known about its effect on normal oral microflora. The present study was performed to observe the effect of phytoncide on oral normal microflora and the inhibitory effect of surviving resident oral bacteria on P. gingivalis. In this study, saliva from each of 20 healthy subjects was treated with 1% phytoncide from Japanese Hinoki (Chamaecyparis obtusa Sieb. et Zucc.). Surviving salivary bacteria were isolated on blood agar plates and identified by 16S rDNA sequencing. In order to select inhibitory isolates against P. gingivalis, the isolates from the phytoncide-treated saliva were cultured with P. gingivalis. The results were as follows: 1. In general, the number of bacteria in saliva from periodontally healthy subjects was decreased when the saliva was treated with 1% phytoncide. 2. The majority of the salivary bacteria surviving the treatment of phytoncide were S. thermophilus (53%). 3. Most of the surviving salivary bacteria (72.5%) inhibit the growth of P. gingivalis A7A1-28 and P. gingivalis W83 on blood agar plates. 4. Among the surviving S. thermophilus, 85.8% of them were observed to inhibit P. gingivalis strains and 75.8% of the surviving S. sanguinis were inhibitory. Taken together, oral resident bacteria surviving phytoncide, which has been shown to inhibit P. gingivalis, may exert an additional inhibitory activity against the periodontopathic bacterium. Therefore, phytoncide can be used for preventing and ceasing the progress of periodontal disease and halitosis, and thus is expect to promote oral health.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.137-143
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• 2014

Dental professionals are repeatedly exposed to many microorganisms present in both blood and saliva. Thus, dental professionals are at a greater risk of acquiring and spreading infections, and the implementation of infections control guidelines is necessary. Cellular phones have become a necessary device for communicating in hospitals. Cellular phones contaminated with bacteria may serve as a fomite in the transmission of pathogens by the hands of medical personnel. Nevertheless, studies about rate and levels of bacterial contamination of cellular phones have been extremely limited with regards to dental personnel. The purpose of this study was to identify bacterial flora on the cellular phones of dentists by a molecular biological method using the 16S rRNA cloning and sequencing method. We acquired total 200 clones from dentists' cell phones and identified the bacterial species. Pseudomonas (34.6%), Lactobacillus (18.5%), Azomonas (11.5%), and Janthinobacterium (6%) were the dominant genera on dentists' cell phones. The oral bacteria identified were Anaerococcus lactolyticus, Gibbsiella dentisursi, Lactobacills leiae, Streptococcus mitis, Streptococcus oligofermentans, and Streptococcus sanguinis. Pathogenic bacteria and opportunistic pathogens such as Carnobacterium funditum, Raoultella planticola, Shigella flexneri, Lactobacillus iners, Staphylococcus aureus, and Staphylococcus epidermidis were also identified.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.85-94
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• 2019

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to observe the degree of mask contamination in dental hygienist for general and oral bacteria and to identify areas of mask contamination after treatment. Methods: Masks were collected with every fifty dental hygienists who currently working in the department of preventive dentistry, prosthodontics, and orthodontics in Busan. The mask bacteria were collected in specific upper and side parts of the mask. Hand germs were collected using sterile cotton swabs, and then placed in a sterile conical tube. These were transferred to the laboratory. Hand germs and mask bacteria were incubated with nutrient broth (NB) and brain heart infusion broth (BHI) for 24 hrs and each cultured with NB and BHI plate at $37^{\circ}C$ for 48 hrs. Collected data were analyzed using the SPSS Window 20. Results: The number of bacteria was observed in the order of the department of preventive dentistry ($10.1{\times}10^5CFU/ml$), prosthodontics ($14.7{\times}10^5CFU/ml$), and orthodontics ($23.3{\times}10^5CFU/ml$) in the hand. In general bacteria, the difference of contamination was seen by the parts of the mask, but there was no significant difference. However, the oral bacteria were observed highly contaminated upper part of the mask in preventive dentistry. The mask contamination according to the medical departments was observed. Especially, the contamination of mask in preventive dentistry was significantly higher than other departments in oral bacteria. Conclusion: This study suggested that correct mask replacement and recognition of contamination areas can contribute to the prevention of infectious disease. and it would be necessary to increase hand hygiene performance to prevent cross-infection with masks. Also, this study may give an idea for making guidelines for mask management and supporting to establish clear criteria for the education program of personal protective equipment.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.141-147
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• 2013

It has been established that berberine has strong antimicrobial effects. Little is known however regarding the antimicrobial activity of berberine against endodontic pathogenic bacteria or its cytotoxicity in human oral tissue cells. The antibacterial properties of berberine were tested against 5 strains of Enterococcus faecalis and type strains of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Prevotella nigrescens, Prevotella intermedia, and Tannerella forsythia, which are involved in endodontic infections. Antimicrobial activity was evaluated through minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) measurements. The viability of normal human gingival fibroblast (NHGF) cells after exposure to berberine was measured using a methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay. The data showed that berberine has antimicrobial effects against A. actinomycetemcomitans with an MIC and MBC of $12.5{\mu}g/ml$ and $25{\mu}g/ml$, respectively. In the cytotoxicity studies, cell viability was maintained at 66.1% following exposure to $31.3{\mu}g/ml$ berberine. Overall, these findings suggest that berberine has antimicrobial activity against the tested bacteria. Nevertheless, lower concentrations in combination with other reagents will need to be tested before these in vitro results can be translated to clinical use.