title: A Comparison of Antibacterial Efficacy of 0.5% Sodium Fluoride Impregnated Miswak and Plain Miswak Sticks onStreprococcus mutans - A Randomized Controlled Trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Miswak (Salvadora persica) is a tooth cleaning stick made from the Salvodora Persica tree. It serves as a natural dentifrice with anti-bacterial, anti-plaque and anti-fungal properties. Fluoride, impregnated in chewing sticks will bestow comparable safety against dental caries as the fluoride containing dentifrice.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the present study was to assess and compare the anti-bacterial effect of 0.5% sodium fluoride impregnated miswak and plain miswak sticks onStreptococcus mutans.
  
  
  METHODS
  A randomized controlled concurrent parallel triple blind clinical trial was conducted for a period of 8 days. The trial included 30 subjects aged 20-23 years, who were randomly allocated in 1:1 ratio to Group A [0.5% Sodium Fluoride (NaF) impregnated Miswak sticks) and Group B (Plain Miswak sticks) respectively. The participants were instructed to chew miswak sticks for 6 minutes in the morning before breakfast. Unstimulated saliva was collected at baseline and after chewing miswak sticks to estimateS. mutanscount using Mitis Salivarius Bacitracin agar. Data was statistically analyzed using paired and unpaired t-test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A statistically significant reduction inS. mutansColony Forming Units (CFU) count in saliva was observed after using fluoridated miswak sticks compared to the baseline count (p=0.001). There was no significant difference in anti-bacterial effect of fluoridated miswak sticks and plain miswak sticks onS. mutanscount (p=0.58).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The efficacy of miswak impregnated with 0.5% NaF and plain miskaw sticks in reducingS. mutanscounts in saliva is analogous.
authors.affiliation: Senior Lecturer, Department of Public Health Dentistry, Maharaja Ganga Singh Dental College and Research Centre , Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan, India .
authors.forename: Romshi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Raina
authors.affiliation: Reader, Department of Public Health Dentistry, Royal Dental College and Hospital , Palakkad, Kerala, India .
authors.forename: Vinod
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.affiliation: Professor and HOD, Department of Public Health Dentistry, Narsinhbhai Patel Dental College and Hospital , Visnagar, Gujarat, India .
authors.forename: Madhusudan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Krishna
authors.affiliation: Postgraduate Student, Department of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, Annasaheb Chudaman Patil Memorial Dental College , Dhule, Maharashtra, India .
authors.forename: Sakshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Raina
authors.affiliation: Senior Lecturer, Department of Public Health Dentistry, Sharad Pawar Dental Colllege , Wardha, Maharashtra, India .
authors.forename: Ashish
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jaiswal
authors.affiliation: Professor and HOD, Department of Microbiology, Krishnadevaraya College of Dental Sciences , Bengaluru, Karnataka, India .
authors.forename: Arul
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Selvan
authors.affiliation: Senior Lecturer, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Krishnadevaraya College of Dental Sciences , Bengaluru, Karnataka, India .
authors.forename: Chaitra
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Patil
authors.affiliation: Registrar, Department of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, Government Dental College and Hospital , Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India .
authors.forename: Sneh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kalgotra
keywords: Dental caries; Mitis salivarus agar; Natural toothbrush; Oral self care; Salvadora persica