Abstract
With the increased incidence of traumatic injuries and the advanced understanding of the periodontal and alveolar healing process, teeth splinting has become a common practice for stabilizing traumatized teeth. Consequently, several splinting materials and techniques have been introduced in the past few years. Despite the detrimental role of bacterial biofilm on healing, the level of biofilm development on these material surfaces has not been well investigated. Bacterial biofilms are severely detrimental for periodontal healing of avulsed and luxated teeth. Thus, biofilm growth becomes a critical factor in selecting the material of choice for dental splints. In this study, we aim to assess the level of oral biofilm growth on four different splinting systems: Ribbond©, orthodontic NiTi wire, monofilament fishing line, and Titanium Trauma Splint. A total of 72 extracted anterior teeth were divided into four groups. We splinted six rows of three teeth each per group. The teeth selected were caries-free and periodontitis-free at the time of extraction. To assess biofilm growth, a supragingival dental plaque sample was cultured and directly inoculated into all groups. After 7 days, bacterial growth was quantified by live/dead fluorescent microscopy assay and colony forming unit counts (CFU). Using one-way ANOVA and Bonferroni’s post hoc tests, we demonstrated that all splint systems allowed for bacterial growth. However, the Titanium Trauma Splint (TTS) allowed for the least amount of biofilm growth compared to other splint systems.
Highlights
Traumatic injuries have become a common occurrence in today’s society and may surpass the incidence of caries and periodontal disease [1]
As the biofilm matures and bacterial load increases, there is a higher chance for bacteria to expand into the lateral canals and dentinal tubules, and bacteria found at these sites are reported to become more resistant to antibiotics [35,36]
Traumatic injuries are commonly associated with soft tissue injuries and lacerations, which are prone to bacterial contamination
Summary
Traumatic injuries have become a common occurrence in today’s society and may surpass the incidence of caries and periodontal disease [1]. A significant proportion of dental trauma relates to sports, unsafe playgrounds or schools, road accidents, or violence. Skaare and colleagues reported that in a group of children aged 7 to 10 years, the maxillary anterior teeth were the most frequently affected by trauma [3]. Except for concussion and subluxation, these traumatic injuries require some type of stabilization for proper teeth retention and periodontal ligament healing [4,5,6]. The TTS system is made of titanium and has been reported to be easy to use, significantly rapid to place and remove, and to facilitate proper hygiene [7,8]
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