Effect of Two Dental Restorative Materials on Adhesion and Molecular Structure of Oral Bacteria

Abstract

Dental restorative materials are widely used to repair teeth and dentition defects. However, the dental restorative materials tend to react with oral bacteria when they are exposed to oral conditions, which leads to a change in the oral microecology. Herein, we have employed molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the interaction between different dental restorative materials and oral bacteria. It was found that the staphylococcal protein A (SPA) is more likely to attach on the surface of silicon carbide (SiC) substrate than hematite (Fe₂O₃) substrate surface. Furthermore, the tightly adhesion and accumulation of SPA on SiC surface changes the molecular structure of SPA, which will induce a change in the oral microecology. This study has demonstrated that the adhesion and molecular structure of oral bacteria is strongly dependent on dental restorative materials by molecular dynamics simulations, and Fe₂O₃ is more suitable to be a dental restorative material. It is therefore believed that molecular dynamics simulations can be used to further screen suitable materials for oral rehabilitation.