Caries-free subjects have high levels of urease and arginine deiminase activity

Objectives: This study investigated the relationship between urease and arginine deiminase system (ADS) activities and dental caries through a cross-sectional study. Material and Methods: Urease and ADS activities were measured in saliva and plaque samples from 10 caries-free subjects and 13 caries-active. Urease activity was obtained from the ammonia produced by incubation of plaque and saliva samples in urea. ADS activity was obtained from the ammonia generated by the arginine-HCl and Tris-maleate buffer. Specific activity was defined as micromoles of ammonia per minute per milligram of protein. Shapiro-Wilk statistical test was used to analyze the distribution of the data, and Mann-Whitney test was used to determine the significance of the data. Results: The specific urease activity in saliva and plaque was significantly higher in individuals with low DMFT scores. ADS activity in saliva (6.050 vs 1.350, p=0.0154) and plaque (8.830 vs 1.210, p=0.025) was also higher in individuals with low DMFT scores. Conclusions: Caries-free subjects had a higher ammonia generation activity by urease and arginine deiminase system for both saliva and plaque samples than low caries-active subjects. High levels of alkali production in oral environment were related to caries-free subjects. .

Reduçäo do índice de placa com Listerine: avaliaçäo do índice de placa em relaçäo ao uso de Listerine e/ou escovaçäo / Plaque reduction with Listerine: evaluation of plaque index with the use of Listerine and/or toothbrushing

O controle da placa bacteriana dentro das diversas especialidades odontológicas é de grande importância para a obtençäo de melhores resultados durante e após o tratamento odontológico, sempre levando em consideraçäo a prevençäo da cárie e da doença periodontal. Com a finalidade de auxiliar os métodos convencionais de higiene bucal, escovaçäo, fio ou fita dental e palito de dente, muitos agentes químicos vêm sendo estudados, como antibióticos, compostos quaternários de amônia, acetato e gluconato de clorexidina, sanguinarina, dentre outros. O Listerine, utilizado em nosso estudo, ajuda a combater os germes que causam o mau hálito e formaçäo da placa bacteriana. Assim sendo o presente estudo procurou avaliar a reduçäo do índice de placa em universitários de Odontologia, através da utilizaçäo ou näo de Listerine e/ou escovaçäo durante 12 dias num período de 3 meses. Embora os resultados clínicos tenham sido favoráveis ao uso de Listerine, estatisticamente näo foram significantes