Romshi Raina1, Vinod Kumar2, Madhusudan Krishna3, Sakshi Raina4, Ashish Jaiswal5, Arul Selvan6, Chaitra Patil7, Sneh Kalgotra8. 1. Senior Lecturer, Department of Public Health Dentistry, Maharaja Ganga Singh Dental College and Research Centre , Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan, India . 2. Reader, Department of Public Health Dentistry, Royal Dental College and Hospital , Palakkad, Kerala, India . 3. Professor and HOD, Department of Public Health Dentistry, Narsinhbhai Patel Dental College and Hospital , Visnagar, Gujarat, India . 4. Postgraduate Student, Department of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, Annasaheb Chudaman Patil Memorial Dental College , Dhule, Maharashtra, India . 5. Senior Lecturer, Department of Public Health Dentistry, Sharad Pawar Dental Colllege , Wardha, Maharashtra, India . 6. Professor and HOD, Department of Microbiology, Krishnadevaraya College of Dental Sciences , Bengaluru, Karnataka, India . 7. Senior Lecturer, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Krishnadevaraya College of Dental Sciences , Bengaluru, Karnataka, India . 8. Registrar, Department of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, Government Dental College and Hospital , Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India .
Abstract
INTRODUCTION:Miswak (Salvadora persica) is a tooth cleaning stick made from the Salvodora Persica tree. It serves as a natural dentifrice with anti-bacterial, anti-plaque and anti-fungal properties. Fluoride, impregnated in chewing sticks will bestow comparable safety against dental caries as the fluoride containing dentifrice. AIM: The aim of the present study was to assess and compare the anti-bacterial effect of 0.5% sodium fluoride impregnated miswak and plain miswak sticks on Streptococcus mutans. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A randomized controlled concurrent parallel triple blind clinical trial was conducted for a period of 8 days. The trial included 30 subjects aged 20-23 years, who were randomly allocated in 1:1 ratio to Group A [0.5% Sodium Fluoride (NaF) impregnated Miswak sticks) and Group B (Plain Miswak sticks) respectively. The participants were instructed to chew miswak sticks for 6 minutes in the morning before breakfast. Unstimulated saliva was collected at baseline and after chewing miswak sticks to estimate S. mutans count using Mitis Salivarius Bacitracin agar. Data was statistically analyzed using paired and unpaired t-test. RESULTS: A statistically significant reduction in S. mutans Colony Forming Units (CFU) count in saliva was observed after using fluoridated miswak sticks compared to the baseline count (p=0.001). There was no significant difference in anti-bacterial effect of fluoridated miswak sticks and plain miswak sticks on S. mutans count (p=0.58). CONCLUSION: The efficacy of miswak impregnated with 0.5% NaF and plain miskaw sticks in reducing S. mutans counts in saliva is analogous.
RCT Entities:
INTRODUCTION: Miswak (Salvadora persica) is a tooth cleaning stick made from the Salvodora Persica tree. It serves as a natural dentifrice with anti-bacterial, anti-plaque and anti-fungal properties. Fluoride, impregnated in chewing sticks will bestow comparable safety against dental caries as the fluoride containing dentifrice. AIM: The aim of the present study was to assess and compare the anti-bacterial effect of 0.5% sodium fluoride impregnated miswak and plain miswak sticks on Streptococcus mutans. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A randomized controlled concurrent parallel triple blind clinical trial was conducted for a period of 8 days. The trial included 30 subjects aged 20-23 years, who were randomly allocated in 1:1 ratio to Group A [0.5% Sodium Fluoride (NaF) impregnated Miswak sticks) and Group B (Plain Miswak sticks) respectively. The participants were instructed to chew miswak sticks for 6 minutes in the morning before breakfast. Unstimulated saliva was collected at baseline and after chewing miswak sticks to estimate S. mutans count using Mitis SalivariusBacitracinagar. Data was statistically analyzed using paired and unpaired t-test. RESULTS: A statistically significant reduction in S. mutans Colony Forming Units (CFU) count in saliva was observed after using fluoridated miswak sticks compared to the baseline count (p=0.001). There was no significant difference in anti-bacterial effect of fluoridated miswak sticks and plain miswak sticks on S. mutans count (p=0.58). CONCLUSION: The efficacy of miswak impregnated with 0.5% NaF and plain miskaw sticks in reducing S. mutans counts in saliva is analogous.