Abstract
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of Nd:YAG laser with flat-top handpiece on the in vitro growth of Candida albicans and Streptococcus mutans. The incidence of C. albicans (opportunistic commensal) and S. mutans (facultatively anaerobic) infections is increasing, despite available treatments. Cultures of Streptococcus mutans and Candida albicans were irradiated using Nd:YAG laser (LightWalker, Fotona) with flat-top handpiece (Genova, LightWalker, Fotona) at the following parameters: group G1: 0.25 W, 10 Hz, 15 s, 3 J and group G2: 1 W, 10 Hz, 60s, 59 J. The results were evaluated directly and 24 h after irradiation using a quantitative culture method (estimation of colony-forming units in 1 ml of suspension, cfu/ml), and microscopic analysis with Janus green stain and compared with control group in which laser was not applied. C. albicans was reduced by 20 up to 54% for G1, and for G2 by 10 up to 60% directly after the application. The cfu/ml values for S. mutans decreased by 13% (p = 0.1771) for G1 and 89% (p < 0.0001) for G2. In both test groups 24 h after the application, the number of colony-forming units decreased by 15–46% for G1 and by 15–64% for G2. The arrested cell division, increasing the surface area and increasing the number of metabolically inactive cells, were observed in morphometric analysis. Macroscopic and microscopic analyses revealed a reduction in cell number and a significant decrease of cell metabolism after laser application for both C. albicans and S. mutans.
Highlights
IntroductionIn a distorted equilibrium balance of the oral health, infectious pathogens may gain access into the dental tissues and gingival area
Wroclaw Medical University, Bujwida 44, 50-345 Wrocław, Poland 6 Department of Histology and Embriology, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Norwida 31, 50-375 Wrocław, Poland 7 Department of Conservative Dentistry and Pedodontics, Wroclaw Medical University, Krakowska 26, 50-425 Wrocław, PolandThe human oral cavity is a conducive environment to unrestricted formation of natural microbial biofilm
The present study explored the potential of Nd:YAG laser with flat-top handpiece to affect the in vitro growth of S. mutans and C. albicans—the two oral microbials which may become pathogenic in the presence of predisposing factors, producing infections that range from local to systemic
Summary
In a distorted equilibrium balance of the oral health, infectious pathogens may gain access into the dental tissues and gingival area. Infectious pathogens from the oral cavity cause oral diseases such as caries, gingivitis, periodontitis, endodontic infections, and alveolar osteitis, and sometimes are concomitant to systemic diseases, including cardiovascular disorders, stroke, preterm birth, diabetes, and pneumonia, among others [1, 2]. Recent studies indicate high prevalence of S. mutans in dental biofilm where the fungal pathogen C. albicans resides, suggesting that this association is involved in the enhancement of biofilm virulence [4, 5]. C. albicans coadheres with S. mutans in the presence of sucrose [5,6,7] Such bacterium-fungus association may enhance S. mutans infection [8] and augment fungal carriage and infectivity of mucosal disease [9]
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