Streptococcus Mutans Cariogenicity by Real-time PCR in High Caries Risk Patients

This clinical study will be held in the clinic of conservative dentistry department, Faculty of Dentistry, Cairo University. The operator in charge will be Mostafa Mahmoud El-Ghazali. Patients will be examined and selected according to inclusion and exclusion criteria, the purpose and method of the study will be explaned to the selected patients, written informed consent will be obtained from the patients for participation in the study. In the first visit, ADA caries risk assessment model will be done. Participants will be divided into two groups according to the tested mouthwashes.

All patients will be instructed not to have breakfast and to refrain any oral hygiene measures on the day of sample collection to avoid the influence of food consumption and contamination on the composition of saliva. The patient will sit in an erect position on the dental chair and will be given paraffin block to chew. The stimulated saliva will be collected after 2 minutes of paraffin chewing in sterile containers held near the mouth. The containers will be properly labeled. The study will be carried over a period of one month, the saliva samples for each patient will be collected on the first dental visit. These samples will be then sent to the laboratory for microbiological assessment. Patients will be provided with mouthwashes according to the tested groups and they will be instructed to use it 2 times per day for 1 minute each time and no eating or drinking permitted for a minimum of 30 minutes post rinsing. Each patient will be given the same instructions with respect to oral hygiene measures. They will be advised to continue on same diet and will be instructed not to change their dietary habits. Patients will come after 2 weeks for salivary samples collection and samples will be sent to the laboratory for microbiological assessment. After treatment continuity for another 2 weeks, patients will come for the last visit to collect the salivary samples which will be sent to the laboratory for microbiological assessment.

Inclusion criteria

• Adults will be recruited in this study, all the volunteers participated in this experiment will be healthy looking with free medical history.
• Age range 20-50 years
• High caries risk patients according to ADA caries risk assessment model.
• High plaque index (>score 2)
• Non-smoking patients.
• Patients with normal salivary rate (0.3-0.4 ml/min).

Exclusion criteria

• Patients with a compromised medical history.
• Participants with low caries risk.
• Patients with severe or active periodontal disease.
• Participants with a history of allergy to any of the drugs or chemicals used in the study.
• Patients on any antibiotics during the past month
• Smoking patients.
• Patients with abnormal salivary rate.
• Pregnant female patients