title: The relationship between turbidity of mouth-rinsed water and oral health status.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between turbidity of mouth rinsed water and oral health status such as dental and periodontal conditions, oral hygiene status, flow rate of saliva and oral bacteria.
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjects were 165 patients who visited the Dental Hospital, Tokyo Medical and Dental University. Oral health status, including dental and periodontal conditions, oral hygiene status and flow rate of saliva, was clinically examined. The turbidity was measured with a turbidimeter. Quantification of Fusobacterium spp, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerella forsythia, Treponema denticola and total bacteria levels was performed using real-time PCR. The Pearson correlation and multiple regression analysis were used to explore the associations between the turbidity and oral health parameters.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The turbidity showed significant correlations with the number of decayed teeth and deep pockets, the plaque index, extent of tongue coating and Fusobacterium spp, P. gingivalis, T. forsythia, T. denticola and total bacteria levels. In a multiple regression model, the turbidity was negatively associated with the flow rate of saliva and positively associated with the total number of bacteria (p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Current findings suggested that turbidity of mouth rinsed water could be used as an indicator to evaluate oral health condition and the amount of bacteria in the oral cavity. In addition, the turbiditimeter appeared as a simple and objective device for screening abnormality of oral health condition at chair side as well as community-based research.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Health Promotion, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, School of Oral Health Care Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Susumu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takeuchi
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ueno
authors.forename: Sachiko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takehara
authors.forename: Thuy Anh Vu
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Pham
authors.forename: Chiyoko
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hakuta
authors.forename: Seiji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Morishima
authors.forename: Kayoko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shinada
authors.forename: Yoko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kawaguchi
mesh_terms: D001439:Bacteroides / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D016967:Fusobacterium nucleatum / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009055:Mouth / Q000382:microbiology*; D009067:Mouthwashes; D009391:Nephelometry and Turbidimetry / Q000295:instrumentation; D009909:Oral Health; D009910:Oral Hygiene; D010510:Periodontal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D016966:Porphyromonas gingivalis / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012463:Saliva / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D048373:Treponema denticola / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D009067:Mouthwashes