• Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.587-598
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• 2000

Urea in the oral cavity is hydrolyzed mainly by bacterial ureases to ammonia, which in turn, raises pH of the oral environment, maintaining oral pH homeostasis, thereby inhibiting dental caries. Streptococcus salivarius has been shown to be a major contribution to oral ureolysis. Synthesis of urease by S. salivarius appears to be constitutive, but can be greatly enhanced in the acidic environment. It has been presumed that ureolytic activity of S. salivarius strains isolated from caries-active site is greater than that of strains from caries-free site. However, no in vivo study has supported the presumption. The present study was performed to observe the ureolytic activity of S. salivarius strains isolated from different environments in the same individual, finding out whether the ureolytic activity is related to dental caries. For the purpose, S. salivarius strains were isolated from caries-active site (>C2), a caries-free site of the tooth, and the dorsum of the tongue of each of 50 patients having decayed teeth. The strains isolated from the patients who harbored S. salivarius in more than two sites were selected and then their ureolytic activities were measured. In order to examine clonal diversity of the strains, their ureC genes were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and then restricted with EcoRV, and the protein profiles of the strains were compared by SDS-PAGE. The results were as follows: 1. Of 50 patients, 13 patients harbored S. salivarius in more than two sites; a total of 61 S. salivarius strain were isolated from the patients and selected for the study. 2. Of 17 isolates from the caries-active site of 9 patients harboring S. salivarius in more than two sites including carious lesion, 10 (58.8%) showed a high ureolytic activity (> 200 ${\mu}mol/min/mg$). While, 19 out of 44 isolates (43.2%) from the caries-free site of the teeth and the dorsum of the tongues of 13 patients were the strains with a high ureolytic activity. 3. Of 9 patients harboring S. salivarius in more than two sites including caries-active site. 6 patients were found to have the strains in the caries-active site showing a lower ureolytic activity than the strains in the other sites. 4. Of 34 isolates with ureolytic activity higher than 40 ${\mu}mol/min/mg$, 32 isolates produced 0.54-Kbp PCR products regardless of the sites of bacterial collection. In contrast, of 27 isolates with ureolytic activity lower than 40${\mu}mol/min/mg$, 26 isolates yielded 1.3-Kbp PCR products or none regardless of the sites. 5. Different clonal types of S. salivarius with relatively higher and lower ureolytic activities were found in the same individuals and even in the same sites. 6. None of strains showing different ureolytic activity appeared to be the same clonal type. The overall results suggest that ureolytic activity of the isolates does not appear to be related to differences of the environments but related to their own genetic traits.

• The Journal of the Korean dental association
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• v.50 no.9
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• pp.552-557
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• 2012

Bamboo salt is a special processed salt by Korean traditional recipe. Recent study results showed that bamboo salt or bamboo salt with some other materials like herbal extracts have the anti-microbial activity, inhibition effects of dental plaque and gingival inflammation. Bamboo salt also showed anti-cariogenic effects; remineralization and acid resistance. Compare to fluoride toothpaste, bomboo salt toothpaste with fluoride showed the more effective remineralization on inner part of the early dental caries lesion. It increased the surface hardness and decreased lesion depth of early dental caries lesion. Thus, it is suggested thai bamboo salt could be used as a anti-microbial, anti-plaque, anti-inflammatory and anti-cariogenic material for oral disease prevention. Especially, bamboo salt dentifrice with fluoride can be recommanded as a useful remineralizing agent.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.271-277
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• 2013

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of incremental dental care(IDC) program on kindergarten children. Methods : The subjects were 46 kindergarten children aged 6 who wished participation in IDC program during 5 weeks at oral health center in G-college from March to May, 2012. The data of subjects were examined into oral conditions such as toothbrushing method and frequency, modified O'leary plaque index and dental caries activity before and after IDC program. The collected data were analyzed by SPSS statistical package version 19.0. Results : 1. The rolling and fones methods of toothbrushing increased from 10.8% to 91.3% after IDC program(p<.001). The change of toothbrushing frequency showed that over 3 times a day increased from 52.2% to 76.0% after IDC program(p<.01). 2. The modified O'leary plaque index of before toothbrushing education increased from 1st visit(score 32.19) to 5th visit(score 57.14) and after toothbrushing education increased from 1st visit(score 64.45) to 5th visit(score 78.27) during IDC program(p<.001). 3. As a results of dental caries activity test before and after IDC program, it was found that the bacterial numbers in S.mutans and Latobacillus reduced from 0.74, 0.70 to 0.28, 0.41 (p<.01) and the saliva buffering capacity increased from 1.50 to 2.02(p<.001). Conclusions : It is considered very necessary that IDC program should be maintained and extended to dental clinic so as to enhance the oral health state of kindergarten children.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.56 no.4
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• pp.357-367
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• 2023

Objectives: The 2018 Basic Health Research (RISKESDAS), conducted by the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia showed a high prevalence of dental caries (88.8%) in Indonesia and suggested that smoking tobacco was associated with an increased risk of dental caries. This study analyzed the association between tobacco smoking and dental caries in the Indonesian population. Methods: This was a cross-sectional analysis of secondary data collected from RISKESDAS 2018. The study population included 35 391 Indonesians aged ≥10 years from all 34 provinces. The decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT) index was used to measure dental caries. Smoking status was assessed qualitatively based on smoking activity, and the level of smoking exposure was assessed based on the Brinkman index. A multivariable logistic regression analysis was employed to examine the relationships of smoking status and smoking exposure levels with the DMFT index. Results: Of the population aged ≥10 years, 36% had a DMFT≥8 (females: 37.5%, males: 33.9%). Almost one-fourth (23.4%) were current smokers, and 4.1% were ex-smokers. Furthermore, 26.4% had a Brinkman index ≥400, indicating heavy smoking. According to the multivariate analysis, current smoking status was associated with the risk of DMFT≥8 in males (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.40; 95% CI, 1.27 to 1.55; p<0.001) and overall (aOR, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.00 to 1.14; p=0.037). In females, ex-smoking was associated with a 41% higher risk of DMFT≥8 (aOR, 1.41; 95% CI, 1.07 to 1.84; p=0.014). Heavy smoking was associated with a higher risk of DMFT≥8 in males (aOR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.25 to 1.52; p<0.001) and females (aOR, 1.24; 95% CI, 1.03 to 1.50; p=0.022). Conclusions: Tobacco smoking was associated with dental caries in the Indonesian population.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.119-126
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• 2021

Background: Dental caries is mainly composed of various cellular components and is deposited around the tooth surface and gums, causing a number of periodontal diseases. Streptococcus mutans is commonly found in the human oral cavity and is a significant contributor to tooth decay. The use of antibacterial ingredients in oral hygiene products has demonstrated usefulness in the management of dental caries. This study investigated the anticaries effect of the ethanol extract of Terminalia chebula (EETC) against S. mutans and their cytotoxicity to gingival epithelial cells. Methods: The EETC was prepared from T. chebula fruit using ethanol extraction. Disk diffusion, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC), and colony forming unit (CFU) were analyzed to investigate the antimicrobial activity of the EETC. Glucan formation was measured using the filtrate of the bacterial culture medium and sucrose. Gene expression was analyzed using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Cytotoxicity was analyzed via the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide assay. Results: The antibacterial activity of the EETC was explored using disc diffusion and CFU measurements. The MIC and MBC of the EETC were 10 and 20 ㎍/ml, respectively. EETC treatment decreased insoluble glucan formation by S. mutans enzymes and also resulted in reduced glycosyltransferase B (gtf B), gtf C, gtf D, and fructosyltransferase (ftf), expressions on RT-PCR. In addition, at effective antibacterial concentrations, EETC treatment was not cytotoxic to gingival epithelial cells. Conclusion: These results demonstrate that the EETC is an effective anticaries ingredient with low cytotoxicity to gingival epithelial cells. The EETC may be useful in antibacterial oral hygiene products for the management of dental caries.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.123-129
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• 2010

To examine whether the effects of chewing gum containing xylitol are purely based on xylitol itself rather than the preventive effects on dental caries based on other constituents or factors, gargling was done using xylitol solution which was diluted in a distilled water. Then, attempts were made to perform an experiment for the bacterial activity of S. mutans depending on the amount of xylitol. Gargling was done using solutions containing xylitol at an amount of 30, 50, 60, 70, 80 and 90% with the same methods after 48 hours. When gargling was done using a solution containing xylitol at a volume of 60% in those who experienced dental caries, the bacterial activity of S. mutans was decreased by 35% as compared with the control group. When gargling was done using a solution containing xylitol at a volume of 70%, the bacterial activity of S. mutans was decreased by 80% as compared with the control group. These results indicate that there was a significant difference between the two groups (p<0.05). Besides, similar result appeared in those who did not experience dental caries(p<0.05). Based on the above results, under the hypothesis that the effects of xylitol contained in a chewing gum were not associated with other constituents, it is presumed that the amount of xylitol at a ratio of > 70% is effective in reducing the bacterial activity of S. mutans with no respect to experiences of dental caries. But we need an another experiment to confirm whether this result is due to xylitol's effect or not.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.122-127
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• 2005

Dental caries is one of the most common oral diseases in the world. Glucosyltransferase (Gtase) of Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) plays an important role in the develo pment of dental caries. For the purpose to develop anti- caries, we examined the effect of metabolites isolated from Streptomyces sp. M-20 on Gtase and the growth of S. mutans. Streptomyces sp. M-20 isolated from Mongolian soil showed 95~96% sequence homology with that of Streptomyces lin- colnensis. The metabolites of Streptomyces sp. M-20 were partially purified by extraction with ethyl acetate, silica gel column chromatography and preparative TLC. Partially purified metabolite, red colored component (MR-20) in ethyl acetate fraction showed potent antibacterial activitiy against S. mutans and inhibitory activity against Gtase purified from S. mutans, while another isolated yellow component (MY-20) showed no activity against S. mutans. The inhibitory activity of MR-20 against Gtase was confirmed by activity staining on SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The concentration of MR-20 for 50% inhibition $(IC_{50})$ against Gtase activity was $60{\mu}g/ml$. These results suggest that MR-20 can be developed for antibacterial agent and anticaries.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.45-52
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• 2013

Antimicrobial activity of extract from some traditional oriental medicinal plants were evaluated for their antimicrobial activity against six oral pathogens, Streptococcus salivarius, Streptococcus oralis, Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus sanguinis, Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus casei, which are associated with caries disease. The antimicrobial activity was examined by determining the inhibition zone using the disc diffusion assay. In antibacterial activity test, extracts of Scutellaria baicalensis, Chrysanthemum indicum, Kochia scoparia, Hydnocarpus anthelmintica and Caesalpinia sappan showed inhibitory effects (40 mg/ml) against tested caries bacteria. Especially, the C. sappan extract showed the strongest activity on S. oralis (40 mm), L. casei (35 mm) and S. mutans (28 mm). Thus, this result suggests that C. sappan may be applicable to preventing dental caries.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.117-129
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• 2019

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of demographic characteristics and oral health status on unmet dental needs among preschool children and to provide a basis for improvement of the dental care equality and accessibility using data from the $6^{th}$ National Health and Nutrition Survey. Methods: This study was performed using data collected from the $6^{th}$ National Health and Nutrition Survey. The subjects were 1,472 out of 22,940 people, who participated in the survey and under went oral examination. IBM SPSS Statistics (Version 20.0) was used for statistical analyses based on the complex sampling design. Frequency analysis was performed to determine the distribution of unmet dental needs according to the characteristics of the subjects. The Rao-Scott ${\chi}^2$ test was performed to examine the relationship of unmet dental needs with general characteristics and health- and oral health-related variables. Relevant factors were determined using binary logistic regression analysis. Results: The factors that had statistically significant relations with unmet dental needs included age, medical insurance, household income, limited physical activity, history of dental caries in deciduous teeth, and subjective health status. Logistic regression analysis of complex samples was conducted to determine factors related to unmet dental needs. The results of analysis showed that limited physical activity and history of dental caries in deciduous teeth were related to unmet dental needs. Conclusions: The results show the factors affecting, and the reasons for, the unmet dental needs of preschool children. Future studies are needed to develop national projects and oral health education reforms to address inequalities in preschool children's dental care.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.27-35
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• 2012

Objectives : This study was performed to provide the basic data for oral health of infants, through the comparison of Streptococcus mutans activities(the representative bacteria of initial dental caries), in main nutritional foods for infants: breast milk, milk powder, and soya milk. Methods : The study targeted 30 infants and the saliva was sampled after the oral examination. The pH of sampled saliva was measured; and the sample of 'the saliva', 'the saliva and breast milk', and 'the saliva and formula milk' by researcher were produced; and the measurement was repeated 7 times. Results : As a result of examining the change of colony number of Streptococcus mutans by hour, the bacterial activity took in the source of nutrition took place in the first place; and in the group with dental caries, breast-feeding at night occurreds most frequently. Due to the combined activities, such as the increase in the contact time, the existence rate of dental caries appeared high. However, as the improvement of breast-feeding is closely related to the nutrition supply to babies, rather than the improvement of breast-feeding, the 12 hours after the culture in which Streptococcus mutans activities started was considered. Conclusions : In case of breast-feeding at night, it is necessary to remove the dental plaque in the mouth, before 12 hours has passed. Especially, using toothbrush and toothpaste to decrease the occurrence of dental caries, after the eruption of teeth, is recommended for oral administration.