ABSTRACT
Background@#Antibacterial drugs are used for suppressing harmful bacteria. However, some are reported to have side effects which led researchers to investigate plants with antimicrobial properties as potential alternatives. One such indigenous plant is the Vitex parviflora A. juss, “molave” or “mulawin” tree. @*Objective@#This study determined and compared the antibacterial efficacy of 50 mg/ml and 100 mg/ml concentrations of fresh local molave leaves methanolic extract with 0.12% chlorhexidine, distilled water, and 95% methanol on growth inhibition of S. mutans. @*Methodology@#Five hundred grams of fresh molave leaves were collected and subjected to methanolic extraction. In vitro antimicrobial susceptibility test by disk diffusion of 50 mg/ml and 100 mg/ml molave extract concentrations, 0.12% chlorhexidine, distilled water, and 95% methanol on 18 Mueller-Hinton agar (MHA) plates inoculated with S. mutans was done. For cost-efficiency, the total sample size of 80 plates was reduced by placing 5 test groups in one plate divided into five portions done in 18 replicates. After 48 hours of incubation in anaerobic conditions, resulting zones of inhibition were measured. Data were analyzed through one-way ANOVA and Bonferroni tests. @*Results@#The mean diameter of inhibition zones produced by 100 mg/ml and 50 mg/ml concentrations of molave methanolic leaves extract and 0.12% chlorhexidine was 15.78 mm, 11.63 mm, and 21.44 mm, respectively. Distilled water and 95% methanol did not inhibit bacterial growth. The 100 mg/ml concentration has stronger antibacterial properties than the 50 mg/ml. @*Conclusion@#The Vitex parviflora A. Juss methanolic leaves extract has the ability to inhibit the growth of S. mutans in vitro. Both concentrations were relatively weaker compared to chlorhexidine.
Subject(s)
Streptococcus mutansABSTRACT
Background@#Dental anxiety (DA) creates a vicious cycle of dentist avoidance, oral health neglect, increased unmet treatment needs, compromised well-being and quality of life (QoL), which then generates added anxiety. The prevalence of DA among adult Filipinos has not been investigated. @*Objectives@#This study aimed to establish baseline data on dental anxiety among the adult residents of Barangay (Brgy.) Cambaog, Bustos, Bulacan, Philippines. @*Methodology@#Three hundred thirty-six (336) randomly selected adult residents completed a questionnaire that included demographics, frequency of dental visits, self-assessment of their oral health status, the Corah's Dental Anxiety Scale (DAS), and reasons for their DA. @*Results@#The study showed that 11% of the 336 participants had DA, were young adults, affecting twice as many women than men, had lower levels of education, and with a lessening of anxiety with age. Participants with DA were also found to have infrequent dental visits, were symptom-driven, had poorer self-assessed oral health status, and only 13% of the respondents with DA viewed their oral health as healthy. Needles, tooth extraction, pain, previous negative experience, and sound of the drill were some of the triggers that elicited anxiety. @*Conclusion@#DA affects a proportion of the adult residents of Brgy. Cambaog and can be considered a dental public health problem. The use of screening tools like DAS should be considered for the early recognition of patients with DA so that management measures may be taken to enhance the delivery of oral health services.