Background/Aim: Acid-electrolyzed functional water (FW) is an efficient bactericide and gargling with FW might be an effective method of oral care. We investigated the possible use of FW as a mouth wash by an in vitro study. Materials and Methods: The bactericidal effect of FW against different species of bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumonia, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Candida albicans) was evaluated using the numbers of colony-forming units (CFU). The experiment was conducted using PBS, LISTERINE, and ConCool F (undiluted, and the optimal concentration indicated). To investigate the bactericidal mechanism of FW, the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), an indicator of oxidative action, was measured in S. aureus. FW was diluted with purified water to concentrations of 10, 30, 50, and 70%. The numbers of CFU were measured for each concentration. XTT assays were performed using HSC-3 and HeLa cells, to examine the viability of the cells following treatment with FW. The same experiment was conducted with PBS, LISTERINE, and undiluted ConCool F. Results: No bacteria treated with FW formed colonies. SOD activity peaked at a 50% concentration of FW and was more than twice that of the control. A significant decrease in the number of CFU was observed following 50% treatment. Since the peaks of the SOD activity and the starting concentrations of the bactericidal effects coincided, the bactericidal effect of FW might be related to its oxidative effects. Bacteria treated with FW had the same survival rate as the other mouth washes. Conclusion: FW might be clinically applicable as a mouth wash.
Objective The number of teeth has been shown to affect mortality. However, it is unclear why the number of teeth is associated with mortality. We focused on the number of teeth and malnutrition and examined whether these differences affect 3‐year all‐cause mortality among very elderly individuals. Methods This analysis was conducted using data from the Tokyo Oldest Old Survey on Total Health study. Altogether 513 participants ≥85 years were categorized based on remaining teeth (0, 1–7, 8–18, ≥19). All‐cause mortality was determined by calculating the cumulative 3‐year survival rate according to the remaining number of teeth and the presence/absence of malnutrition. Further, hazard ratios (HRs) were analyzed using Cox regression analyses. Results No difference was observed according to the number of teeth (p = 0.638), but the presence/absence of malnutrition was significantly associated with mortality (p < 0.001). Malnutrition was independently associated with higher HRs, even after adjusting for confounding factors associated with mortality. (HR: 2.315, 95% CI: 1.431–3.746). Additionally, adjusting for the number of teeth, HR remained significant (HR: 2.365, 95% CI: 1.449–3.853). Conclusion In the very elderly, malnutrition—but not the number of teeth—was independently associated with 3‐year all‐cause mortality after adjusting for various health issues.
Background: Aspiration pneumonia is a major cause of death in the elderly. Oral bacterial can contribute to the occurrence of this disease. It is therefore important to maintain oral cavity hygiene. However, tooth brushing is sometime difficult for elderly people. Acid-electrolyzed functional water (FW) is an efficient bactericide, and gargling with FW might therefore contribute to the effective prevention of aspiration pneumonia. We investigated the possible use of FW as a mouth rinse.Methods: The bactericidal effect of FW against each species of bacteria was evaluated using the numbers of colony-forming units. The test organisms were Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumonia, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Candida albicans. The experiment was conducted using PBS as a control, LISTERINE, and ConCool F. We used two concentrations of ConCool F: undiluted, and the optimal concentration indicated by the manufacturer. To investigate the bactericidal mechanism of FW, the activity of superoxide dismutase, an indicator of oxidative action, was measured in S. aureus. FW was diluted with purified water to concentrations of 10, 30, 50, and 70%. The number of colony-forming units were measured for each concentration. XTT assays were performed using HSC-3 and HeLa cells, to examine the viability of the cells following treatment with FW. The same experiment was conducted with PBS, Listerine, and undiluted ConCool F.Results: No bacteria treated with FW, Listerine, or undiluted ConCool F formed colonies. However, the number of colony-forming units in bacteria treated with diluted ConCool F was equivalent to that of control, except for C. albicans. Superoxide dismutase activity peaked at a 50% concentration of FW, and was more than twice that of the control. A significant decrease in the number of colony-forming units was observed following 50% treatment. Since the peaks of the superoxide dismutase activity and the starting concentrations of the bactericidal effects coincided, the bactericidal effect of FW's might be related to their oxidative effects. Bacteria treated with FW had as higher a survival rate than the other two mouth rinses. Conclusions: Our results suggest that FW might be clinically applicable as a mouth rinse.
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