Table 2.

Bacterial genera change after oral cleaning from day zero to ten: Statistically significant change in bacterial levels of the tongue samples of all the three oral-cleaning methods were calculated after 10 days of cleaning from day zero to ten. For each method, the level of significance is shown with an decrease in levels of bacteria (in bold), or increase in bacterial levels (not in bold). The P-values were calculated using Student t test. (BT – Brushing, followed by Tongue cleaning; GIFTS – Gum and teeth rubbing using Index Finger, followed by Tongue cleaning and water swishing; CT – GIFTS method using Charcoal, followed by Tongue cleaning). “g__” indicate OTUs only annotated to the level of Genus

Saliva	BT	GIFTS	CT
Firmicutes—Planococcaceae; g__			0.03
Firmicutes—Gemella		0.03
Firmicutes—Gemellaceae; other			0.01
Firmicutes—Aerococcaceae; other
Firmicutes—Streptococcus	0.05		0.03
Firmicutes—Lachnospiraceae; g__			0.04
Firmicutes—Peptostreptococcus			0.02
Actinobacteria—g__			0.002
Actinobacteria—Phycicoccus			0.03
Actinobacteria—; g__	0.02
Actinobacteria—Micrococcus			0.01
Proteobacteria— Hyphomicrobiaceae; g__	0.04
Proteobacteria—Agrobacterium	0.05
Proteobacteria—Paracoccus			0.03
Proteobacteria— Rhodobacteraceae; other	0.02
Proteobacteria—Lautropia			0.02
Proteobacteria—Propionivibrio
Proteobacteria—Cellvibrio	0.05
Proteobacteria— Pseudomonadaceae; g__			0.03
Fusobacteria—Fusobacterium			0.002
Fusobacteria—Leptotrichia			0.05
Bacteroidetes—Prevotella			0.01
Bacteroidetes—Porphyromonas			0.03
Bacteroidetes—Prevotella			0.005
Bacteroidetes—Sediminicola			0.01
Spirochaetes—Treponema		0.03
SR1-g__	0.03		0.05
SR1-f__; g__	0.03		0.05
TM7—g__			0.05
TM7-CW040—g__			0.04