Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 5, 2025
Oral Biofilm Sampling for Microbiome Analysis in Healthy Children
Published on: December 31, 2017
Role of Toothbrushes as Gene Expression Profiling Tool for Oral Cancer Screening in Tobacco and Alcohol Users
Govindarajan Sujatha1,2, Vishnu Priya Veeraraghavan3, Ahmed Alamoudi4
1Department of Oral Pathology and Microbiology, Sri Venkateswara Dental College and Hospital, Chennai 600130, India.
Aim:
The use of toothbrushes was investigated as a potential RNA source and gene expression profiling tool for oral cancer screening in tobacco and alcohol users.
Methodology:
A total of 20 subjects were selected on the basis of inclusion and exclusion criteria. They were divided into two groups: group I-healthy controls (n = 6); group II-individuals who consume tobacco and alcohol (n = 14). After the volunteers brushed their teeth using a soft-bristle toothbrush with ~0.5 gm of toothpaste, the toothbrushes were collected, and the gene expression of BAX, BCL2, CDK4, CKDN2A, GNB3, and TCF7L2 was assessed.
Results:
The gene expression of BAX decreased significantly in alcoholics and smokers (0.13867 ± 0.12014), while the gene expression of BCL2 increased in alcoholics and smokers (1.91001 ± 0.90425) in comparison with healthy controls (p = 0.0054 and p = 0.0055). Although there was increased expression of CDK4, CKDN2A, and TCF7L2 and decreased expression of GNB3 in smokers and alcoholics, the results were not significant.
Conclusions:
A toothbrush is a good source of RNA, and gene expression analysis can be performed using the genetic material retrieved from toothbrushes, which can aid in the early diagnosis of oral squamous cell carcinoma among tobacco and alcohol users. Further studies with a larger sample size and different durations of toothbrush use should be conducted to explore the role of toothbrushes as a noninvasive tool for disease diagnosis.
More Related Videos
07:52In Vivo CRISPR/Cas9 Screening to Simultaneously Evaluate Gene Function in Mouse Skin and Oral Cavity
Published on: November 2, 2020
11:09An Analytical Tool-box for Comprehensive Biochemical, Structural and Transcriptome Evaluation of Oral Biofilms Mediated by Mutans Streptococci
Published on: January 25, 2011
Related Concept Videos
01:26Assessment of the Mouth
Mouth Inspection
The inspection begins with visually examining the mouth for symmetry, color, and size.
01:15Teeth
In the bud stage, the tooth germ (an aggregation of cells) starts to form in the developing jawbone. During the cap stage, the tooth germ differentiates into enamel organ, dental papilla, and dental sac, which will later develop into the tooth's enamel, dentin...