Abstract:Objective: This study aims to evaluate the eff ect of soybean milk containing a combination of anti-Streptococcus mutans IgY and chitosan to the colonization of S. mutans in the saliva and to the IgY persistency in the saliva. Materials and Methods: Experimental malnourished Sprague-Dawley rats were fed with soybean milk that is enriched with anti-S. mutans IgY and chitosan. After 15 days of feeding, we evaluated the S. mutans in dental biofi lm, in addition to the persistency level of anti-S. mutans IgY. Results: The rats that received soybean milk supplemented with anti-S. mutans IgY had the lowest number of S. mutans colonies (p < 0.05). Anti-S. mutans IgY was detected in saliva after 15 days of feeding. Conclusions: Soybean milk supplemented with anti-S. mutans IgY and chitosan could signifi cantly reduce S. mutans biofi lm, and the supplemented anti-S. mutans IgY persisted in these rats' saliva following the feeding period.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 has claimed thousands of lives worldwide. To enhance knowledge and awareness of COVID-19, considerable online resources have been made available, including aspects related to the dental profession. The study aim was to examine the knowledge, perception, and attitude of dental professionals in Indonesia toward COVID-19. We conducted a survey via a questionnaire created using Google docs and distributed to 632 members of the Indonesian Dental Association in the context of a webinar hosted by the Indonesian Oral Biology Association on first June, 2020. Materials and Methods: The questionnaire consisted of 17 items pertaining to demographic data, knowledge and virus identification, awareness regarding drugs commonly used in dentistry during pandemic and research opportunities. Participants were asked to complete the questionnaire after the webinar by choosing one answer to each question. For the analysis, participants were divided into three groups according to their professional background i.e., employment at national hospital, private hospital, or academic faculty. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and expressed as frequencies and percentages. The chi-square test was used to investigate the association between professional activity and the level of knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes about COVID-19. Results: Sixty percent of the participants correctly identified the pathogenesis of the disease. This knowledge was not associated with their professional affiliation ( p = 0.95). Sixty-seven percentage had comprehensive knowledge about virus detection methods. This knowledge was not associated with their affiliation either ( p = 0.54). Questions regarding drugs of choice, prevention, and the spread of COVID-19 were correctly answered by 89, 96, and 82% of the participants, respectively. Knowledge of these aspects were significantly associated with the professional affiliation ( p < 0.05). All respondents were optimistic regarding research opportunities ( p < 0.01). Respondents from academics were more interested in joining COVID-19-related research projects with governmental institutions ( p < 0.01). Conclusion: Knowledge and awareness of COVID-19 among Indonesian dentists are reasonably good. However, further improvement would be beneficial to manage patients during this pandemic. As the number of COVID-19 cases continue to rise in Indonesia, it is important that dentists keep abreast of the updated knowledge on this moving field. Dentist knowledge on infection control should be strengthened through continuous educational programs.

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ObjectiveWe have previously demonstrated that unencapsulated Enterococcus faecalis cps2 inhibits biofilm formation of Candida albicans, a fungus commonly found with E. faecalis in periapical lesion. In this study, we compared encapsulated and unencapsulated E. faecalis cps2 strains relationship with osteoblastic (MG-63) cells, whereas E. faecalis ATCC 29212 were used as a reference strain.ResultsThe binding capacity of E. faecalis to MG-63 cells as shown by each tested strain was comparable, but the unencapsulated strain was less invasive compared to the encapsulated and the reference strains. Moreover, quantitative real time-PCR (qPCR) results showed that infecting unencapsulated E. faecalis cps2 is a stronger stimulator for toll like receptor 2 (TLR2) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) mRNAs, but not for inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) mRNA in osteoblastic cells. In conclusion, the performance of unencapsulated E. faecalis cps2 when the bacterium interacts with osteoblastic cells is quite different from that of encapsulated E. faecalis cps2 and reference strains. It appears that the unencapsulated strain might contribute to the persistence of the periapical inflammatory response, depending on down-regulation of iNOS mRNA expression.

Saat ini terjadi perkembangan populasi lansia di Indonesia sehingga isu kesehatan lansia merupakan sesuatu yang esensial. Lansia adalah individu yang telah mengalami proses menua sehingga terjadi berbagai perubahan biologis pada tubuhnya, sehingga berpengaruh terhadap penurunan fungsi organ. Kehilangan gigi adalah salah satu masalah yang umum pada lansia sehingga kebutuhan untuk pemasangan gigi tiruan merupakan hal penting yang perlu diperhatikan masyarakat kelompok lansia. Implan gigi tiruan merupakan salah satu alternatif pengganti kehilangan gigi yang memiliki banyak keuntungan dibandingkan gigi tiruan lain. Namun perlu disadari bahwa penggunaan implan gigi memiliki pertimbangan-pertimbangan kondisi rongga mulut dan sistemik tertentu untuk menunjang keberhasilan perawatan. Pemahaman mengenai terjadinya proses menua dan hubungannya dengan pertimbangan penggunaan implan sangat penting untuk diperhatikan oleh klinisi sebelum merencanakan perawatan, terutama berkaitan dengan perubahan pada sistem pertahanan tubuh yang terjadi seiring proses menua.

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Background: Salivary nitric oxide plays an important role as an antibacterial agent in the oral cavity. Here, we analyze salivary nitric oxide, Simplified Oral Hygiene Index (OHI-S) scores and the salivary flow rate in smokers and non-smokers which has not been done previously. Methods: A cross sectional study included 25 smokers and 25 non-smokers. Their OHI-S results were categorized as “good,” “medium,” or “bad.” Unstimulated saliva samples were collected, and their nitric oxide concentration was measured using the Griess method. Results: The salivary flow rate in smokers was lower, at 0.30 ml/minute, compared to non-smokers who had a salivary flow rate of 0.33 ml/minute. This was statistically insignificant. There was a significant difference in the concentrations of nitric oxide between smokers and non-smokers (p < 0.05). Smokers had higher concentrations than non-smokers (185.4 µM Vs 114.60 µM). In addition, there was a moderate positive correlation (r = 0.305) between the concentration of salivary nitric oxide level and the OHI-S results. Conclusions: It was concluded that salivary nitric oxide concentration was higher in smokers, and the oral hygiene condition of smokers was poor.

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