Abstract
BackgroundThe purpose of the study is to assess the antiadherent and antibacterial properties of surface-modified stainless steel and NiTi orthodontic wires with silver against Lactobacillus acidophilus.MethodsThis study was done on 80 specimens of stainless steel and NiTi orthodontic wires. The specimens were divided into eight test groups. Each group consisted of 10 specimens. Groups containing uncoated wires acted as a control group for their respective experimental group containing coated wires. Surface modification of wires was carried out by the thermal vacuum evaporation method with silver. Wires were then subjected to microbiological tests for assessment of the antiadherent and antibacterial properties of silver coating against L. acidophilus. Mann–Whitney U test was used to analyze the colony-forming units (CFUs) in control and test groups; and Student’s t test (two-tailed, dependent) was used to find the significance of study parameters on a continuous scale within each group.ResultsOrthodontic wires coated with silver showed an antiadherent effect against L. acidophilus compared with uncoated wires. Uncoated stainless steel and NiTi wires respectively showed 35.4 and 20.5 % increase in weight which was statistically significant (P < 0.001), whereas surface-modified wires showed only 4.08 and 4.4 % increase in weight (statistically insignificant P > 0.001). The groups containing surface-modified wires showed statistically significant decrease in the survival rate of L. acidophilus expressed as CFU and as log of colony count when compared to groups containing uncoated wires. It was 836.60 ± 48.97 CFU in the case of uncoated stainless steel whereas it was 220.90 ± 30.73 CFU for silver-modified stainless steel, 748.90 ± 35.64 CFU for uncoated NiTi, and 203.20 ± 41.94 CFU for surface-modified NiTi.ConclusionsSurface modification of orthodontic wires with silver can be used to prevent the accumulation of dental plaque and the development of dental caries during orthodontic treatment.
Highlights
The purpose of the study is to assess the antiadherent and antibacterial properties of surface-modified stainless steel and NiTi orthodontic wires with silver against Lactobacillus acidophilus
Adhesion of L. acidophilus to the surface of orthodontic wires From the data shown in Table 3, it is seen that Group 1 had initial average weight of 0.24 ± 0.021 and final average weight of 0.325 ± 0.035 with the increase in weight being in range of 0.085 ± 0.024, which was statistically significant (P < 0.001)
The groups containing surface-modified wires showed statistically significant decrease in the survival rate of L. acidophilus expressed as colony-forming units (CFUs) and as log of colony count when compared to groups containing uncoated wires (Table 4)
Summary
The purpose of the study is to assess the antiadherent and antibacterial properties of surface-modified stainless steel and NiTi orthodontic wires with silver against Lactobacillus acidophilus. White spot lesions around orthodontic appliances, is a common side effect of orthodontic treatment. The resultant increase in plaque accumulation and retention areas places the patient at higher risk for enamel demineralization adjacent to the appliance and exacerbates the effects of preexisting incipient carious lesions. The incidence of enamel demineralization and periodontal disease after fixed orthodontic treatment can involve up to 50 % of patients. The incidence of such white spot lesions around orthodontic brackets has been demonstrated within 1 month of treatment [2, 3]. Among different fixed orthodontic appliances, wires could play a significant role in enamel demineralization because they are present throughout the period of orthodontic treatment. In a study done by Eliades et al [4], it was seen that stainless steel represented the highest critical surface tension and energy and can be expected to have higher plaque retaining capacity
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