Isolation of Fungi and Gram Negative Bacteria from Toothbrushes and Bathroom Bioaerosols

Abstract

Objective: To identify, using phenotypic methods, FGNB, NFGNB and Candida sp. in toothbrushes, and environmental samples of bathroom air in a group of students from the Dentistry School of the Universidad Central de Venezuela. Material and Methods: Thirty-four toothbrushes were supplied to the cohort during a 60-day period; environmental samples were collected in the rooms where toothbrushes were kept during this period. All samples were processed by traditional methods of microbiological counting isolation and phenotypic identification using selective and differential agar based on the international guidelines of the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) 38. Results: 82.36% of the toothbrush samples were positive to bacteria and fungi and 91.17% of the environmental samples were positive to enterobacteria. Conclusion: It is necessary to establish antiseptic protocols for the management, storage and disinfection of toothbrushes. The high rate of contamination may represent an opportunity for enterobacteria colonization of oral biofilms, reservoir to infection foci and metastatic infections in certain populations.

An in Vitro Effectiveness Evaluation of Chemical Agents for Toothbrushes Disinfection

“…Toothbrushes are items prone to contamination, thus can be considered as reservoir not only for oral microorganisms, but other microorganisms from environment and bioaerosols of the place where are kept during its useful time; in consequence many protocols have been established for its disinfection [5,6,10].…”

“…Recently, Enterobacteria are increasingly associated to oral cavity, as transient microbes or even primary pathogens in immunocompromised hosts. This fact has become a keystone to develop chemical and physical strategies to diminish the microbial burden in toothbrushes bristles and the risk these bacteria may represent for special hosts [3,5].…”

“…Toothbrushes are items conventionally used for oral health maintenance and for mechanical disorganization and elimination of dental biofilms. Several studies have demonstrated the sustained contamination rate of these items during its useful time; these investigations had established a neat relation between isolated microorganisms, water quality, fecal bioaerosol inside bathrooms and oral microorganisms [1][2][3][4][5].…”

“…Heavily contaminated toothbrushes could represent an important risk factor for the transmission of dangerous infectious pathogens among special hosts, such as intensive care patients, immunosuppressed patients, solid organ transplant candidates, oncologic patients and others [5].…”

Pengaruh Paparan Gas Ozon terhadap Jumlah Koloni Jamur Candida albicans

“…Candida dikenal sebagai mikroorganisme oportunistik yang pada kondisi tertentu mampu menyebabkan infeksi dan kerusakan jaringan. 9,10 Menurut Merino-Alado et al 11 pada tahun 2018 melaporkan bahwa persentase jumlah koloni Candida albicans yang diisolasi dari sikat gigi mencapai 87,5%, paling tinggi jika dibanding Candida krusei sebanyak 37,5%, serta Candida dubliniensis dan Candida glabrata, masing-masing sebanyak 12,5%. 11 Salah satu strategi untuk meminimalkan risiko penyebaran jamur patogen secara silang ialah penerapan prosedur asepsis pada praktik dokter gigi.…”