In vitro Adhesion and Ribotypes Among Oral Bacteria Isolated From Plaque on Titanium, Hydroxyapatite and Amalgam Surfaces

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine initial bacterial adherence to saliva coated titanium, hydroxyapatite, and amalgam surfaces and to determine whether different bacterial geno-or phenotypic variants were attracted to these surfaces. From six individuals, each with three different test surfaces, 18 strains each of Actinomyces naeslundii, Streptococcus sanguis, S. oralis and S. mitis were investigated by rRNA gene restriction analysis (ribotyping), to disclose potential genotypic similarities within each species isolated from one person. Experimentally, 18 strains each of S. sanguis, S. oralis, S. mutans, S. salivarius, A. naeslundii, six of Fusobacterium nucleatum, and nine strains of black-pigmented Prevotella spp. were tested for adhesion in vitro to the same surfaces coated with saliva from the six individuals. All strains adhered in a higher degree to saliva coated test surfaces than to albumin coated control surfaces, although this tendency was significantly lower for S. salivarius than for other streptococcal species or A. naeslundii. No distinct pattern of ribotypes or bacterial adhesion subtypes were found to be attracted to the test surfaces. Titanium test surfaces were not colonised by bacterial adhesion subgroups different from those which in the same individual colonised hydroxyapatite or amalgam surfaces.

Key Words:

• adhesion
• amalgam
• dental plaque
• hydroxyapatite
• oral microbiota
• ribotypes
• titanium