Adherence of plaque components to different restorative materials.

This study compared the amount of artificial plaque synthesized in vitro by Streptococcus sobrinus on various dental materials using radioisotopes. In particular, plaque-retaining capacities of new types of ceramics were the focus of this study. Specimens were fabricated from the following materials (one amalgam alloy [Spherical-D], one casting gold alloy [Casting Gold TYPE I], one resin composite [Herculite XR] and three ceramics [Vita Celay Blanks, IPS Empress and Dicor MGC]). The amount of bacteria and glucans adhered on the specimens was measured after incubation for 24 hours at 37 degrees C with radio-labeled cariogenic bacteria and sucrose. This adhesion test was performed using two different surfaces with 600-grit roughness and clinical smoothness. Irrespective of the surface roughness, the least amount of plaque adhered to the ceramics. However, in the case of the resin composite and amalgam, the amount of bacteria and glucan adhesion decreased dramatically by polishing, though there were no statistically different changes in the amount of bacteria and glucans that adhered to the ceramics even after polishing. In general, the amount of adhered bacteria showed almost the same tendency as that of glucans. Although no statistical differences in the amount of bacteria and glucan adhesion were detected among the three ceramics investigated in this study, a lesser amount of bacteria and glucans adhered to them compared to the other materials.