Effect of Toothbrush Storage Methods on Toothbrush Contamination and Oral Microbiome pH
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Authors
Bunce, Olivia
Scorziello, Joanna
Issue Date
2024-04-04
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Abstract
Will college students be more prone to dental caries depending on the storage of the toothbrush? This can be correlated with a more acidic saliva. Is there a best way to store a toothbrush? How does the way you store your toothbrush affect the pH of the saliva and the number of colony forming units (CFUs) present on an agar plate? The burden of oral health is a common issue across the population, and toothbrushing is the most common oral hygiene practice. Dental emergencies cause a loss in 34 million school hours and $45 billion are lost in productivity annually. Poor dental hygiene can lead to systemic infections like
endocarditis and infection-triggered autoimmune disease. The goals of this study include determining how the number of people using the same bathroom affects the contamination of the toothbrush bristles, and if the toothbrush contamination impacts the pH of the oral microbiome.Your research and/or analytical methods: Each participant will be given toothbrushing materials and instructed to brush their teeth for four
weeks. Each week the participant will come into the lab for a saliva and bristle sample. Each sample will be plated on a designated agar and analyzed in 48 hours. Findings are in progress. Expected to see a direct correlation with the number of CFUs and the acidity of the saliva. Another expected result is that a toothbrush that is exposed to more people will have more CFUs.