Antibacterial Effects of MicroRepair®BIOMA-Based Toothpaste and Chewing Gum on Orthodontic Elastics Contaminated In Vitro with Saliva from Healthy Donors: A Pilot Study

Aida Meto,Elisabetta Blasi,Bruna Colombari,Annunziata La Regina,Lavinia Beatrice Giva,Eva Pericolini,Alessandra Odorici

doi:10.3390/app10196721

Aida Meto, Elisabetta Blasi + Show 5 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/app10196721

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Abstract

Several new products with innovative formulations are being proposed to facilitate oral care. Here, we evaluated the effects of a commercially available product, a toothpaste and chewing gum named Biorepair Peribioma, on oral microorganisms of healthy subjects. Saliva from six volunteers was collected during 20 min of mastication of a traditional gum (gum A) and the Biorepair Peribioma gum (gum P). Orthodontic elastics (OE) were in vitro contaminated with salivary samples, both A and P, and subsequently exposed or not to a Biorepair Peribioma toothpaste-conditioned supernatant (Tp-SUP). The salivary samples were tested for initial microbial load; hence, the contaminated OE were assessed for microbial growth, adhesion, biofilm formation and persistence; moreover, species identification was assessed. We found that the salivary samples A and P had similar microbial load; upon contamination, microbial adhesion onto the OE was detected to a lower extent when using saliva P with respect to saliva A. Microbial growth and biofilm formation, assessed at 24 h, remained at lower levels in OE exposed to saliva P, compared to saliva A. This difference between salivary samples A and P was confirmed when measuring biofilm persistence (48 h), while it was lost in terms of microbial re-growth (48 h). The Tp-SUP treatment drastically affected microbial load at 24 h and strongly impaired biofilm formation/persistence, in OE exposed to both salivary samples A and P. Finally, such treatment resulted in consistent overgrowth of Lactobacilli, bacterial species originally present both in the Biorepair Peribioma toothpaste and gum. In conclusion, by an in vitro pilot study, we show that the Biorepair Peribioma toothpaste and gum deeply affect oral microorganisms’ behavior, drastically impairing their ability to contaminate and produce plaque onto orthodontic devices.

Highlights

The oral cavity is a highly complex ecological niche, comprising resident microbial communities that crucially participate at the maintenance of local homeostasis
We evaluated the microbial load and characterized the bacterial species growing in saliva
S. salivarius was the second most abundant species recovered in saliva A (16.8%) but not in saliva P (2.9%); differently, the latter counted 10.9% of Neisseria flava/subflava (N. flava/subflava)

Summary

Introduction

The oral cavity is a highly complex ecological niche, comprising resident microbial communities that crucially participate at the maintenance of local homeostasis The latter can be affected by several factors, such as poor oral hygiene, poor diet, and use of drugs, as well as occurrence of dental appliances. When the homeostasis of the oral microbiota is perturbed by external factors, high numbers of opportunistic pathogens can prevail locally and organize themselves in microbial biofilms. The latter predispose to the onset of oral diseases, by promoting a persistent and deleterious inflammatory process [3]. Saliva contains essential biological components, such as salivary mucins and glycoproteins, which promote epithelial cell health as well as early dental plaque development [7]

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