Ethanol extract of Schinus molle L. (Molle) and Erythroxylum coca Lam (Coca): Antibacterial Properties at Different Concentrations against Streptococcus mutans: An In Vitro Study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare in vitro the antibacterial activity of an ethanol extract of Erythroxylum coca Lam (EEE) and Schinus molle L. (EES) at 50% and 75% versus Streptococcus mutans ATCC 25175. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a prospective, comparative, longitudinal experimental study. The ethanol extract of coca and molle leaves was obtained by the vacuum filtration method at concentrations of 50% and 75% and was compared with a positive control (0.12% chlorhexidine). Streptococcus mutans strains were isolated in a culture medium (Mitis Salivarius Agar) ideal for the growth of bacterial colonies. The antibacterial activity of the ethanol extract was carried out following the Kirby-Bauer disk-diffusion method in Mueller-Hinton agar to measure bacterial sensitivity. A value of P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Evaluation of the antibacterial effect of EEE and EES at 24 and 48 h showed that a concentration of 75% for both groups had the highest antimicrobial activity against S. mutans (11.2 ± 0.7 mm; 11.6 ± 0.5 mm and 11.3 ± 0.7 mm; 11.8 ± 0.5 mm, respectively). So, the results have shown that the concentration of EEE and EES of 75% has a greater efficacy than the concentration of 50%, but both concentrations are not as effective as chlorhexidine. CONCLUSION: EEE and EES at concentrations of 50% and 75% present antibacterial activity against S. mutans ATCC 25175.

Assessment of Structural Changes in Translucency and Opacity of Tooth Enamel against a Direct Demineralization Process: An In Vitro Study.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to assess in vitro the structural changes in translucency and opacity of tooth enamel following a direct demineralization process. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This experimental in vitro study evaluated 45 thirds (cervical, middle, and occlusal) of the tooth enamel surface of premolar teeth extracted from young adults divided into three groups of 15 specimens each: Group 1 (solution based on calcium, phosphorus, and fluorine), Group 2 (orthophosphoric acid 37%), and control group (distilled water). All underwent optical macroscopic examination with ×3 magnification to determine the initial translucency according to the variation of the medium in their intercrystalline spaces, and Thylstrup and Fejerskov Index was used. The experimental groups were then subjected to an artificial caries process during which the specimens were placed in an inorganic and organic solution of calcium, phosphorus, and fluorine at 37°C for 90 days with the acidic solution at pH 5 and the neutral solution at pH 7. The control specimens were placed in distilled water. Finally, all the specimens were assessed by polarization microscopy. RESULTS: In relation to the occlusal third, the highest proportion in Groups 1 and 2 was in Grades 2 and 3 (80%). A significant association was only observed between the experimental groups in the degree of translucency in the occlusal third (P = 0.002), whereas no association was found in relation to the degree of opacity in the middle and cervical thirds in either study group (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The resistance of enamel hydroxyapatite crystals increases from occlusal to cervical due to the greater presence of aprismatic enamel in the cervical horizontal third.

Knowledge and Awareness of Effective Recycling of Dental Materials and Waste Management among Peruvian Undergraduate Students of Dentistry: A Logistic Regression Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Biomedical waste management and recycling is a very important topic today to preserve the environment, especially at the university level where future specialists in the health sciences are trained. So, the aim of this study was to evaluate the knowledge and awareness about recycling of dental materials and waste management among Peruvian undergraduate students of dentistry. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study evaluated 254 Peruvian undergraduate dentistry students from October 2019 to January 2020, at the National University of San Marcos. The associated factors evaluated were age (X1), sex (X2), year of study (X3), and marital status (X4), which were analyzed using a logit model to identify the influence of the intervening variables with a P value <0.05. RESULTS: None of the variables studied were considered to be a factor affecting the awareness, knowledge, and management of biomedical waste in Peruvian dentistry students, with the following odds ratios (OR) being obtained: age (OR = 0.96; confidence interval [CI]: 0.85-1.08), sex (OR = 1.69; CI: 0.98-2.90), year of study (OR = 1.18; CI: 0.91-1.54), and marital status (OR = 1.84; CI: 0.14-23.68). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study show that Peruvian Public University students have knowledge and are aware of the need for adequate management and/or recycling of biomedical waste dental care products, with none of the possible associated variables studied significantly affecting this relationship.

Antifungal Efficacy of Four Different Concentrations of the Essential Oil of Cinnamomum zeylanicum (Canela) against Candida albicans: An In Vitro Study.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to compare in vitro the antifungal efficacy of the essential oil of Cinnamomum zeylanicum (Canela) (EOC) at 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% against strains of Candida albicans ATCC 10231. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The design was experimental, in vitro, prospective, and longitudinal study, having a sample of n = 30 petri dishes per six groups. The test was conducted in the microbiology laboratory of the Universidad Nacional Federico Villarreal. The essential oil was prepared by steam distillation, which means that the pressure steam enters in connection with the plant cells and breaks them, releasing the essence and trapping it in drops of water. Cinnamon essential oil was obtained using the hydrodistillation method, subsequently the oil obtained was dehydrated with sodium sulfate and then filtered at 0.22 µm. Then the vials were stored at a temperature of 4°C. Finally, Candida albicans ATCC 10231 was used as the biological material. Antifungal efficacy was measured by the Kirby-Bauer method (disk diffusion). RESULTS: It was found that in the 24-h group the concentration that had the greatest antifungal effect was 100% EOC with a mean of 22.1 ± 11 mm; however, the lowest antifungal activity was seen in the 25% EOC with 17.9 ± 1.6 mm. On the contrary, in the 48-h group, it was shown that the highest antifungal efficacy was also observed in the 100% EOC with an average of 31.2 ± 3.2 mm, but the lowest antifungal activity was in the 25% EOC with 22.6 ± 1.7 mm. Although in both groups, both at 24 and 48h, nystatin was the one with the lowest antifungal efficacy 15.1 ± 1.0 and 19.9 ± 0.1 mm, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: EOC had a better statistically significant antifungal effect compared to nystatin. Otherwise, on analysis of the results in different concentrations, the EOC showed a directly proportional antifungal effectiveness as the concentration against the strains of C. albicans ATCC 10231 increased, compared to nystatin, suggesting its potential use as a possible attractive therapeutic alternative for the control of diseases caused by strains of C. albicans resistant to nystatin.

Evaluation of Hydrogen Peroxide and Cetylpyridinium Chloride as Bacterial Decontaminants of Dental Unit Water Lines at a Private Peruvian Dental School.

AIM: The aim of this study was to evaluate the hydrogen peroxide and cetylpyridinium chloride as bacterial decontaminants of dental unit water lines at a private Peruvian dental school. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Water samples were obtained from 66 dental units of a University Dental Clinic before decontamination treatment and at days 3 and 7 thereafter. The biofilm treatments were applied equitably among the two treatment groups (n = 22) and one negative control (distilled water). The samples obtained on each collection day were taken to the biochemical laboratory in thermal boxes and then diluted, seeded, and incubated at 37°C for 24h to count colony forming units per milliliter (CFU/mL). RESULTS: The samples to which hydrogen peroxide were applied had a mean of 1.53 × 105 CFU/mL before application, 0.04 × 105 CFU/mL at day 3, and 0.03 × 105 CFU/mL at day 7, whereas the samples undergoing cetylpyridinium chloride treatment had a mean of 1.74 × 105 CFU/mL before application, 615.38 CFU/mL on day 3, and 307.69 CFU/mL on day 7. Distilled water treatment showed a mean of 1.72 × 105 ± 0.39 × 105 CFU/mL at baseline, 1.51 × 105 ± 1.40 × 105 CFU/mL at day 3, and a mean of 1.74 × 105 ± 0.47 × 105 CFU/mL at day 7. Statistically significant differences were found among the three treatment groups at days 3 (P ≤ 0.001) and 7 (P ≤ 0.001) but not at baseline (P = 0.306). CONCLUSIONS: The antibacterial effect of cetylpyridinium chloride was significantly greater than that of hydrogen peroxide and distilled water, and can, therefore, be used for bacterial control in the water lines of dental units.