SIMONIS, A.*, ECKELMANN, H., NETUSCHIL, L., WEBER, H. (Universities of Berlin, Homburg and Tübingen, FRG)
Plaque formation on hard surfaces is a common aspect in dentistry. No distinction, however, is made between dead and living adhering plaque flora. The purpose of the present study was to quantify the dead and viable microflora adjacent to dental materials in vivo. Seven volunteers were asked to wear acrylic splints with different inserted materials: Wiron 88, Titan, Albabond, BegoPal, Degudent U, Remanium CD and human enamel as control. After 1, 2 and 4 days in situ the following parameters were assessed per mm² surface: Total bacterial counts (dead and living) and colony forming units (CFU). Therefrom the percentage of the cultivable flora (CFU x 100/BC = PE: plating efficiency) was calculated. At day 4, the CFU (log/mm²) and PE (%) appeared to be distributed as follows:
4d Wiron Titan Alba Enamel Bego Degu Rema log CFU/mm2 6.28 6.27 6.25 6.22 5.93 5.84 5.81 PE % 41.9 27.7 32.9 39.4 38.2 27.1 20.5
Wiron, Titan and Albabond showed more or similar CFU/mm² as compared to enamel, while by the use of BegoPal, Degudent and Remanium less bacteria were accumulated. On the other hand, a similar percentage of viable flora ( 40 % ) was found on enamel, Wiron and BegoPal, whereas Titan, Degudent and Remanium reduced the viability of plaque micro-organisms. The different materials showed differing antibacterial and anti-plaque properties. More detailed and standardized studies are necessary to understand the adverse effects of dental materials on the oral flora.