Treatment of Streptococcus mutans biofilms with a nonthermal atmospheric plasma.
OBJECTIVE
A nonthermal atmospheric plasma, designed for biomedical applications, was tested for its antimicrobial activity against biofilm cultures of a key cariogenic bacterium Streptococcus mutans.


RESULTS
The Strep. mutans biofilms were grown with and without 0.15% sucrose. A chlorhexidine digluconate rinse (0.2%) was used as a positive antimicrobial reference. The presence of sucrose and the frequency of plasma application during growth were shown to have a significant effect on the response to treatment and antibacterial activity.


CONCLUSIONS
A single plasma treatment for 1 min on biofilms cultured without sucrose caused no re-growth within the observation period. However, with either single or repeated plasma treatments of 1 min, on biofilms cultured with 0.15% sucrose, growth was only reduced.


CONCLUSIONS
In summary, there may be a role for nonthermal plasma therapies in dental procedures. Sucrose and associated growth conditions may be a factor in the survival of oral biofilms after treatment.
Sladek
R E J
RE
Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
Filoche
S K
SK
Sissons
C H
CH
Stoffels
E
E
D000390:Air Ionization; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D018441:Biofilms / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development*; D002710:Chlorhexidine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D004203:Disinfection / Q000295:instrumentation; D013295:Streptococcus mutans / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; C010882:chlorhexidine gluconate; D002710:Chlorhexidine