Dental plaque is composed of bacteria from food residues in the mouth. The thicker the plaque layer on the tooth surface, the more bacterial accumulation there is, potentially leading to cavities.
Unfortunately, according to the 2018 National Health Research, only 2.18% of Indonesia’s population can brush their teeth properly. The thicker the dental plaque, the harder it is to clean, often requiring medical intervention.
The high incidence of cavities, especially among children, caught the attention of UGM Faculty of Dentistry (FKG UGM) students from the class of 2023. They created an innovative chewing gum product from dragon fruit peel extract to detect and remove dental plaque.
The chewing gum, named ‘Draco-Chew,’ was developed by Fatimah Islamia, Tyasadwi Bumi, Lutfia Nur Shabrina, Desika Yuspina Nurhidayah, and Dyza Fathmasari Danisworo, under the supervision of Dr. Alma Linggar Jonarta, from the Department of Oral Biology at FKG UGM.
This research was funded by the 2024 Student Creativity Program in Exact Sciences Research (PKM-RE) scheme.
Draco-Chew is derived from “dragon fruit” and “chewing.” The choice of dragon fruit as the primary ingredient is not without reason. The peel of red dragon fruit contains betacyanin. This natural food coloring can replace synthetic dyes and is safer for health.
Moreover, betacyanin is known for its antibacterial properties, making the peel and flesh of dragon fruit highly valuable in dentistry.
“This chewing gum has various uses in cavity prevention, such as detecting or coloring plaque, helping remove plaque, and increasing saliva production,” said Fatimah Islamia, adding that saliva production aids in cleaning the oral cavity and removing immature plaque.
The Draco-Chew research was conducted in four different laboratories at UGM: the Integrated Research Laboratory at FKG, the Engineering Research and Innovation Center (ERIC) at the Faculty of Engineering, the Plant Systematics Laboratory at the Faculty of Biology, and the Pharmaceutical Biology Laboratory at the Faculty of Pharmacy.
Draco-Chew was tested on in vitro plaque cultures to observe its color attachment and plaque adherence capabilities during the testing phase.
“We compared the color intensity of dragon fruit extract with disclosing solution, a standard plaque dye in dentistry,” said Islamia.
Islamia and her team acknowledge that further research on the composition and additional laboratory testing are needed to ensure Draco-Chew’s safety and suitability for public consumption.
“We hope that once we find the right composition, this product can be mass-produced and used by the public to improve tooth brushing techniques and help prevent cavities,” Islamia concluded.
Author: UGM Draco-Chew Team
Editor: Triya Andriyani