Bezirtzoglou Eugenia, Cretoiu Silvia-Mariana, Moldoveanu Mirela, Alexopoulos Athanasios, Lazar Veronica, Nakou Mela
Democritus University of Thrace, Faculty of Agricultural Development, Department of Food Science and Technology, Laboratory of Microbiology, Biotechnology and Hygiene, Orestiada, Greece.
J Dent. 2008 Aug;36(8):600-5. doi: 10.1016/j.jdent.2008.04.007. Epub 2008 May 27.
Toothbrushes are rapidly contaminated with different microorganisms, which colonize the oral cavity and interdental spaces. This can represent a possible cause of infection or reinfection. In this study, the ozone experimental effect upon toothbrushes microflora was estimated microbiologically before and after saturation with ozone gas.
Fifty used toothbrushes coming from children and adults were entered our study. Microorganisms were enumerated and identified. Bristles from each brush were soaked in ozone saturated PBS solution for 5, 10, 15, 20 and 30 min and the total microbial population was reassessed.
Counts of microorganisms isolated per brush varied between 10(2) and 10(7) CFU. Candida albicans was present in used toothbrushes. No obligate anaerobes were isolated. Members of Streptococcaceae family were regularly found (65.2%) belonging to the following species: Streptococcus pyogenes, S. mutans, S. mitis, S. oralis, S. sobrinus, S. viridans, S. salivarius, S. sanguis, Aerococcus viridans. A. viridans and S. mutans were more frequently isolated on children toothbrushes while Staphylococcus aureus and S. epidermidis were found on adults brushes. Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas sp. and Enterococcus sp., were also recovered. We found that the ozone treatment decreased gradually the microbial load. However, a bacterial re-growth was effective following short ozonation period. Decontamination was complete after an extended exposure to ozone for 30 min.
Ozone application was found to remove the toothbrushes bristles microbiota following conventional brushing. Maximum decontamination efficacy of ozone treatment was observed after 30 min while exposure for short time periods seems to be inefficient which probably reflect the low dose of ozone used in this study.
牙刷会迅速被不同微生物污染，这些微生物会在口腔和牙间隙中定植。这可能是感染或再感染的一个潜在原因。在本研究中，在牙刷用臭氧气体饱和前后，通过微生物学方法评估臭氧对牙刷微生物群落的实验效果。
50支来自儿童和成人的用过的牙刷进入我们的研究。对微生物进行计数和鉴定。将每支牙刷的刷毛浸泡在臭氧饱和的PBS溶液中5、10、15、20和30分钟，然后重新评估总微生物数量。
每支牙刷分离出的微生物数量在10²至10⁷CFU之间。用过的牙刷中存在白色念珠菌。未分离到专性厌氧菌。经常发现链球菌科成员（65.2%），属于以下物种：化脓性链球菌、变形链球菌、缓症链球菌、口腔链球菌、远缘链球菌、草绿色链球菌、唾液链球菌、血链球菌、绿色气球菌。绿色气球菌和变形链球菌在儿童牙刷上分离得更频繁，而金黄色葡萄球菌和表皮葡萄球菌在成人牙刷上被发现。还分离出了大肠杆菌、假单胞菌属和肠球菌属。我们发现臭氧处理逐渐降低了微生物负荷。然而，短时间臭氧处理后细菌会有效重新生长。延长臭氧暴露30分钟后去污完成。
发现臭氧应用可去除常规刷牙后牙刷刷毛上的微生物群。臭氧处理30分钟后观察到最大去污效果，而短时间暴露似乎效率低下，这可能反映了本研究中使用的臭氧剂量较低。
