title: Mutans streptococci remained viable on toothbrush bristles, in vivo, for 44 h.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Toothbrushes harbor a high number of cariogenic microorganisms.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the viability of mutans streptococci (MS) on toothbrushes bristles and the production of extracellular polysaccharide (ECP) related to drying time.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty children were submitted to brushing without dentifrice. Toothbrushes were kept at room temperature from 0 to 48 h and then submitted to microbiological processing. The number of MS colonies/biofilms was expressed according to scores: 0=no colonies were detected; 1=1 to 50; 2=51 to 100; 3=over 100. The amount of ECP was evaluated according to scores: 0=absence; 1=ECP recovering until 50% of the surface; 2=ECP recovering more than 50% of the surface. Data were analyzed by Wilcoxon test (α=5%).
  
  
  RESULTS
  At the periods of 0 to 16 h, the toothbrushes had intense bacterial contamination (score 3). From the 18-h, there was a statistically significant decrease in the MS viability (P=0.0078), with predominance of score 1 on periods of 20 to 44 h. The most detected ECP amount was at 0- and 12-h period (P<0.05) with reduction until 32-h period.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Mutans streptococci remained viable on toothbrushes bristles, in vivo, for 44 h.
authors.forename: Lea
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Assed Bezerra Da Silva
authors.forename: Paulo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nelson-Filho
authors.forename: Marta Estela
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Saravia
authors.forename: Andiara
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: De Rossi
authors.forename: Marília Pacífico
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Lucisano
authors.forename: Raquel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Assed Bezerra Da Silva
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D013295:Streptococcus mutans / Q000502:physiology*; D014099:Toothbrushing / Q000295:instrumentation*