Abstract
Aim: Orthodontic brackets during their wear cause demineralization of enamel, which is the initial step in caries development. The prevention of such spots is crucial to ensure healthy teeth, but patients’ compliance is not the most optimal way. The aim of this study was to compare the antimicrobial properties of fluoride-containing orthodontic materials to the materials without additional fluoride. Materials and Methods: Antibacterial effectiveness of orthodontic materials with fluoride – Transbond Plus SEP Bonding agent, Transpond Plus Adhesive agent, Fuji I Band cement, Fuji Ortho LC Adhesive agent, Ortho Solo Bonding agent, and without antimicrobial substances – Transpond XT Bonding agent, Transbond XT Primer were tested with the inhibition on most common causes L. achidophilus (ATCC 4356) and S. mutans (ATCC 10449) and compared to negative control. Antimicrobial effectiveness of each material was measured with the agar diffusion method and expressed with the diameters of inhibition zones around the disk. Results: Materials containing fluoride showed more antimicrobial effectiveness compared to materials without fluoride or negative control (p<0.001), respectively. Materials from the group with no antibacterial substances were not statistically different compared to the negative control (P>0.05). Conclusion: Materials containing fluoride showed more significant antimicrobial effectiveness when compared to the materials without antimicrobial substance and thus might have the potential of antimicrobial properties in vivo.
Highlights
Orthodontic brackets frequently impair the cleanliness of teeth during their wear[1,2,3]
Fluoride-containing orthodontic materials showed statistically better antimicrobial effectiveness when compared to the materials from Group 2, without additional antimicrobial substance
In our study the materials with no incorporated antimicrobial substances from Group 2 showed some antimicrobial efficacy, implying that orthodontic adhesives on their own might have some antimicrobial activity, but these were not statistically significant when compared to the negative controls
Summary
Orthodontic brackets frequently impair the cleanliness of teeth during their wear[1,2,3]. It is physically difficult to clean and brush the teeth around the brackets, cariogenic bacteria, such as Lactobacillus acidophilus (L. acidophilus) or Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans), can form biofilm which leads to tooth decay or demineralization around orthodontic brackets[4,5,6]. Orthodontic brackets during their wear cause demineralization of enamel, which is the initial step in caries development. Demineralization or development of white spot lesions (WSLs) might disappear through natural remineralization without additional substances once the orthodontic brackets are removed and oral hygiene is restored[7]. The solution of incorporation of antimicrobial agents into the orthodontic adhesives (e.g. fluoride-releasing orthodontic adhesives) have shown to be effective in reversing WSLs after debonding[15]
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