title: Surface characteristics and microbial adherence ability of modified polymethylmethacrylate by fluoridated glass fillers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The current study objectives were to evaluate the influence of fluoridated glass fillers loading on the surface roughness, wettability, and adherence of candida and bacteria with and without saliva presence to a polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) denture base material surface.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four concentrations of fluoridated glass fillers were added to PMMA: 1%, 2.5%, 5% and 10% by weight pre-polymerization and 0% was the control. Discs of each concentration were fabricated (n = 5 for each variable). Surface roughness (Ra ) was measured using atomic force microscopy (AFM). Wettability was assessed by measuring the contact angle of a sessile drop of water. Specimens were incubated with Candida albicans, or Streptococcus mutans with and without saliva coating. Adherence was presented as a percentage of the colonized surface area, counted using an optical microscope at x100 magnification.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 10% group showed significantly greater roughness than the control and 1% groups; however, no significant differences in contact angle values were detected. The microbial adhesion was inversely proportional to the fluoridated glass fillers concentration where 10% concentration significantly decreased candidal and bacterial adhesion compared to others. Saliva coating significantly decreased microbial adhesion.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It was concluded that fluoridated glass fillers could decrease microbial adhesion to acrylic denture base without adversely affecting surface properties.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomaterials, Faculty of Dentistry, The University of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: I A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Al-Bakri
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Harty
authors.forename: W M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Al-Omari
authors.forename: M V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Swain
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Chrzanowski
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ellakwa
mesh_terms: D000180:Acrylic Resins; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion / Q000187:drug effects*; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000302:isolation & purification; D003764:Dental Materials; D003819:Denture Bases / Q000382:microbiology*; D005459:Fluorides / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005898:Glass / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D058105:Polymerization; D019904:Polymethyl Methacrylate / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012463:Saliva / Q000382:microbiology*; D013295:Streptococcus mutans / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013499:Surface Properties; D017155:Wettability
chemical_list: D000180:Acrylic Resins; D003764:Dental Materials; D019904:Polymethyl Methacrylate; D005459:Fluorides
keywords: Atomic force microscopy; Candida albicans; Streptococcus mutans; fluoridated fillers; microbial adhesion; polymethylmethacrylate