title: [In vitro study of Streptococcus mutans in the plaque on the surface of amalgam fillings on the conversion of inorganic mercury to organic mercury].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the Streptococcus mutans in the plaque on the surface of amalgam fillings on the conversion of inorganic mercury to organic mercury.
  
  
  METHODS
  Plaque was sampled from the amalgam restorations after amalgam filling regularly, serving the unfilled tooth as control. Streptococcus mutans was identified and inoculated to 10 ml TSB. After incubated 24 hours, mercury in water was added to the concentration of 100 ng/ml, incubated 24 hours again, the concentration of inorganic and organic mercury was determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  It was found that the difference of organic mercury and organic mercury between the baseline and the times after amalgam filling in test group and control was significant, while the difference between the times after amalgam filling was not significant, and the difference between the test group and the control was not significant, either.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Streptococcus mutans can convert inorganic mercury to organic mercury in some way, and the mercury of amalgam plays some role in it.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Medicine, School of Stomatology, Shanghai Second Medical University. Shanghai 200011, China.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Liu