Adhesion of Streptococcus mutans to different types of brackets.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the difference in the adhesion of Streptococcus mutans to three different types of orthodontic brackets and the effect of the presence of an early salivary pellicle and Streptococcus sanguis on adhesion.


METHODS
Three adhesion experiments were performed using stainless steel, ceramic, and plastic orthodontic brackets. In the first experiment a clinical strain of S mutans adhered to the three different types of brackets (n = 6 for each). For the second, the brackets were treated with saliva before adhesion of S mutans (n = 6 per type of bracket). Finally, the third experiment concerned saliva coated brackets (n = 6 per type of bracket), but before S mutans, S sanguis bacteria were allowed to adhere. The bacteria were always allowed to adhere for 90 minutes in all the experiments. Adhesion was quantitated by a microbial culture technique by treating the brackets with adhering bacteria with trypsin and enumerating the total viable counts of bacteria recovered after cultivation.


RESULTS
There were consistently no differences in the adherence to stainless steel, ceramic, or plastic brackets. The presence of an early salivary pellicle and S sanguis reduced the number of adhering S mutans to all three types of brackets.


CONCLUSIONS
Adhesion of bacteria to orthodontic brackets depends on several factors. The presence of a salivary pellicle and other bacterial species seem to have a significant effect on the adhesion of S mutans, reducing their numbers and further limiting any differences between types of brackets.
Papaioannou
William
W
Department of Preventive and Community Dentistry, University of Athens Dental School, Athens, Greece. vpapaio@dent.uoa.gr
Gizani
Sotiria
S
Nassika
Maria
M
Kontou
Efterpi
E
Nakou
Melachrini
M
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000898:Antibiosis; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion; D002516:Ceramics / Q000737:chemistry; D002648:Child; D044622:Dental Pellicle / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D016910:Orthodontic Brackets / Q000382:microbiology*; D010969:Plastics / Q000737:chemistry; D012463:Saliva / Q000382:microbiology; D013193:Stainless Steel / Q000737:chemistry; D013295:Streptococcus mutans / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D013298:Streptococcus sanguis / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*
D010969:Plastics; D013193:Stainless Steel