Effect of ozone treatment on different cariogenic microorganisms in vitro.

Ozone treatment has been presented and discussed in the literature, as one of the "new" ways to treat dental caries. The aim of this paper was to study the in vitro effect of ozone on some common oral microorganisms related to dental caries using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The effect of ozone was tested on three different strains of mutans streptococci and one Lactobacillus strain. After exposure of bacteria to ozone treatment for 0 to 60 sec, cultivation on different chair side strips and agar plates took place. Preparation and performance of scanning electron analyses in a field emission scanning electron microscope at 10 kV was then carried out. It was found that gaseous ozone treatment for 20 seconds or more was effective to kill the different microorganisms in vitro. Treatment of 20, 40 and 60 seconds of ozone prevented the bacteria to grow on the different media. Treatment times shorter than 20 seconds resulted in varying results with a limited effect on bacterial growth for treatments of 5-10 sec, respectively. The difference between ozone-treated and untreated specimens was macroscopically readily discernable. None of the strains treated with ozone for 60 seconds showed any bacterial growth. Only samples with untreated bacteria could be found in the SEM analyses in form of large and high colonies. This study presents a clear result of the bactericide effect of ozon (in vitro) on four different strains of bacteria associated with dental caries.