Research 2015-16
Title: METAGENOMICS, DIGITAL & qPCR MOLECULAR ANALYSIS OF BED-TIME ORAL BRUSHING
Abstract
Everybody knows that cleaning the oral cavity is good for oral hygiene. However, not everyone knows that during a night's sleep, when our mouth doesn’t do saliva flushing, bacteria grows a lot, causing many deadly diseases.
This study tested specific dental damaging bacteria, using 3 different bedtime oral cleaning methods.
1.Toothpaste Brushing + Tongue-cleaning (BT)
2. Gum and tooth Inner Finger rubbing + Tongue-cleaning (GIFT)
3. Rice-husk Charcoal Powder Finger rubbing + Tongue-cleaning (CT)
To reduce variations in the testing methods, 70 subjects performed all 3 cleaning methods (Repeated Measures Design). The subjects ate raw cane sugar cubes before going to bed and without cleaning their mouth, for 2 nights (control). They did all 3 cleaning methods separately for 2 nights each. Every morning, saliva was spit in a DNA extraction tube. A second trial was done after a gap of one week.
DNA from 960 saliva samples were analyzed in 5,184 qPCR, 92 Droplet Digital PCR & 20 Metagenomic Sequencing reactions using universal and specific dental damaging bacterial primer probes.
ANOVA and posthoc statistical analysis showed a significant decrease in dental damaging bacterial counts in all 3 methods. However, CT has the additional advantages of removing bad breath and whitening teeth. Charcoal obtained by activating rice husk in 3 novel ways, showed adsorption differences in Isotherm studies, in general, and dental damaging bacteria in saliva.
This study successfully developed a simple, healthy, cost-effective ($0.0019), microbiome, and eco-friendly technology for recycling abundantly available rice husk into highly adsorbing charcoal, which can reduce plastic usage by both developed and developing countries, for better oral hygiene to enjoy good health.
Awareness Given Through This Research
Dental Awareness Camp 2016 - at a Middle School in a remote village in South India. This camp brought awareness of the importance of oral cleaning, bedtime brushing & nano charcoal cleaning and awarded students with good oral hygiene to motivate them to maintain good oral health.
