title: The effect of dental restorative materials on dental biofilm.
abstract: To investigate the arrangement of biofilms formed in vivo, volunteers wore splints with slabs of six different dental materials inserted to collect smooth surface plaque. After 5 d of undisturbed plaque accumulation, the specimens were vital stained and analyzed by the confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) to evaluate the percentage of vital biofilm microflora (VF percentage). Further parameters were the area of the specimens covered by plaque (surface coating; SC, %) and the height of the biofilms (BH, pm). The metals amalgam and gold, the compomer, as well as the glass-ionomer cement harboured an almost entirely dead biofilm (VF <8%). Resin composite led to vitality values between 4 and 21%, while a very thin biofilm on ceramic revealed the highest vitality values (34-86%). SC varied from 6% on glass-ionomer cement to 100% on amalgam. BH reached its highest value on amalgam and gold of 17 and 11 microm, respectively, while heights of between 1 and 6 microm were found on the ceramic, resin composite, compomer and the glass-ionomer cement. Within their limits, the present findings indicate that amalgam, gold, compomer and glass-ionomer cement exert an influence against the adhering biofilm. No general relationship could be established between the different parameters VF percentage, SC percentage and BH (microm).
authors.affiliation: Department of Operative Dentistry and Periodontology, Albert-Ludwigs-University of Freiburg, Germany. auschill@zmk2.ukl.uni-freiburg.de
authors.forename: Thorsten Mathias
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Auschill
authors.forename: Nicole Birgit
authors.initials: NB
authors.lastname: Arweiler
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brecx
authors.forename: Elmar
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Reich
authors.forename: Anton
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sculean
authors.forename: Lutz
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Netuschil
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion / Q000187:drug effects; D018441:Biofilms / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D002516:Ceramics / Q000494:pharmacology; D004396:Coloring Agents; D020770:Compomers / Q000494:pharmacology; D003188:Composite Resins / Q000494:pharmacology; D003723:Dental Amalgam / Q000494:pharmacology; D003764:Dental Materials / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003773:Dental Plaque / Q000382:microbiology*; D003793:Dental Restoration, Permanent; D005899:Glass Ionomer Cements / Q000494:pharmacology; D006047:Gold Alloys / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D013499:Surface Properties; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D004396:Coloring Agents; D020770:Compomers; D003188:Composite Resins; D003764:Dental Materials; D005899:Glass Ionomer Cements; D006047:Gold Alloys; D003723:Dental Amalgam