title: Capillary-tube-based micro-plasma system for disinfecting dental biofilm.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A low-temperature low-energy capillary-tube-based argon micro-plasma system was applied to disinfect Streptococcus mutans-containing biofilm.
  
  
  METHODS
  The micro-plasma system uses a hollow inner electrode that is ignited by a radio-frequency power supply with a matching network. The energy content was analyzed using optical emission spectroscopy. The micro-plasma-induced effect on a biofilm cultured for 24 or 48 h with a working distance of ≈3 mm at low temperature was evaluated. The morphologies of the treated live/dead bacteria and the produced polysaccharides after micro-plasma treatment were examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Scanning electron microscopy images and staining results show that most of the S. mutans on the treated biofilm were acutely damaged within a micro-plasma treatment time of 300 s.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The number of living bacteria underneath the treated biofilm greatly decreased with treatment time. The proposed micro-plasma system can thus disinfect S. mutans on/in biofilms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Engineering,National Cheng Kung University , Tainan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Wen-Ke
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Chih-Chiang
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Weng
authors.forename: Jiunn-Der
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.forename: Yi-Cheng
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Shu-Fen
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Chuang
mesh_terms: D018441:Biofilms / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects; D004203:Disinfection / Q000295:instrumentation*; D055616:Microtechnology / Q000295:instrumentation*; D058626:Plasma Gases / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013295:Streptococcus mutans / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects; D013997:Time Factors; D014070:Tooth / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D058626:Plasma Gases