Oral bacteria growing in the mouth

XVIVO Scientific Animation recently wrapped up an exciting project on the bacteria that are found in the human mouth and how these bacteria are affected by oral hygiene (or the lack thereof). We teamed up again with colleagues at Johnson & Johnson for a new virtual reality (VR) visualization of the normal bacterial community that is present in everyone’s mouth, and how this community changes without proper oral hygiene (brushing, flossing, rinsing).

The VR experience “Dental Biofilm, Dysbiosis, & Disease” was recently unveiled at the Pacific Dental Conference as part of a larger program to visualize the impact of antiseptic rinse on gingival inflammation and biofilm on each tooth.

Visitors viewing the Dysbiosis VR experience at the Pacific Dental Conference, 2019.

Now, XVIVO is bringing the Dysbiosis VR experience to everyone.

Immerse yourself in the Dysbiosis VR experience with your favorite VR device, such as the Oculus Go, or watch the 360 video of the VR experience on YouTube using any smartphone or computer.

In this VR experience, you’re inside the mouth, surrounded by millions of planktonic (free-floating) and biofilm-bound bacteria. Kind of feels like Finding Nemo, minus the fish of course. For XVIVO, the biggest challenge of this project was individually simulating and rendering each of the millions of bacteria you see in the VR experience.

Viewers are left with a distinct impression of the consequences of poor oral health, including the growth of more pathogenic bacteria that can release toxins and ultimately lead to an inflammatory environment for oral diseases such as gingivitis or periodontitis

bacteria animation
The pathogenic biofilm in the oral microbiome

Seeing what’s going on in your mouth really makes you want to brush and floss more often. XVIVO’s President, Mike Astrachan, joked that “Since starting this project, my teeth have never been cleaner.”

We thank the Michaels at Johnson & Johnson for providing us with motivation to brush, floss, and rinse twice a day! From left to right: Michael Cohen, MSc, Senior Scientific Engagement Liaison at Johnson & Johnson, Michael McCarthy, MBA, Dental Strategy Consultant at Johnson & Johnson, Michael Lynch, DMD, PhD, Global Director, Oral Health, Global Scientific Engagement at Johnson & Johnson, and Michael Astrachan, XVIVO Founder and President.