Application of adenosine triphosphate-driven bioluminescence for quantification of plaque bacteria and assessment of oral hygiene in children.
OBJECTIVE
Dentistry has undergone a shift in caries management toward prevention and improved oral hygiene and diagnosis. Caries prevention now represents one of the most important aspects of modern dental practice. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to demonstrate the use of adenosine triphosphate- (ATP-) driven bioluminescence as an innovative tool for the rapid chairside enumeration of oral bacteria (including plague streptococci) and assessment of oral hygiene and caries risk.


METHODS
Thirty-three pediatric patients (7- to 12-year-old males and females) were examined, and plague specimens, in addition to stimulated saliva, were collected from representative teeth within each quadrant. Oral specimens (n=150 specimens) were assessed by plating on enriched and selective agars, to enumerate total bacteria and streptococci, and subjected to adenosine triphosphate- (ATP-) driven bioluminescence determinations using a luciferase-based assay system.


RESULTS
Statistical correlations, linking ATP values to numbers of total bacteria, oral streptococci and mutans streptococci, yielded highly significant r values of 0.854, 0.840, and 0.796, respectively


CONCLUSIONS
Our clinical data is consistent with the hypothesis that ATP measurements have a strong statistical association with bacterial number in plague and saliva specimens, including numbers for oral streptococci, and may be used as a potential assessment tool for oral hygiene and caries risk in children.
Fazilat
Shahram
S
Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA.
Sauerwein
Rebecca
R
McLeod
Jennifer
J
Finlayson
Tyler
T
Adam
Emilia
E
Engle
John
J
Gagneja
Prashant
P
Maier
Tom
T
Machida
Curtis A
CA
D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000378:metabolism; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D002648:Child; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D003732:Dental Caries Activity Tests / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D003773:Dental Plaque / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology; D003774:Dental Plaque Index; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008156:Luciferases / Q000378:metabolism; D008163:Luminescent Measurements / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D008164:Luminescent Proteins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012463:Saliva / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D008164:Luminescent Proteins; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D008156:Luciferases