Efficacy and mechanisms of non-antibacterial, chemical plaque control by dentifrices—An in vitro study

Busscher, Henk J.; White, Don J.; Atema-Smit, Jelly; van der Mei, Henny C.

doi:10.1016/j.jdent.2006.10.001

« Previous Next »Journal of Dentistry
Volume 35, Issue 4 , Pages 294-301, April 2007

Efficacy and mechanisms of non-antibacterial, chemical plaque control by dentifrices—An in vitro study

Henk J. Busscher
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University Medical Center Groningen, Antonius Deusinglaan 1, 9713 AV Groningen, The Netherlands
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Groningen, Antonius Deusinglaan 1, 9713 AV Groningen, The Netherlands
Don J. White
- The Procter & Gamble Company, Mason, OH, USA
Jelly Atema-Smit
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University Medical Center Groningen, Antonius Deusinglaan 1, 9713 AV Groningen, The Netherlands
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Groningen, Antonius Deusinglaan 1, 9713 AV Groningen, The Netherlands
Henny C. van der Mei
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University Medical Center Groningen, Antonius Deusinglaan 1, 9713 AV Groningen, The Netherlands
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Groningen, Antonius Deusinglaan 1, 9713 AV Groningen, The Netherlands
- Corresponding author at: Department of Biomedical Engineering, University Medical Center Groningen, Antonius Deusinglaan 1, 9713 AV Groningen, The Netherlands. Tel.: +31 50 3633140; fax: +31 50 3633159.

Received 5 June 2006; received in revised form 3 October 2006; accepted 6 October 2006.

Abstract

Objectives

The provision of antiplaque benefits to dentifrices assists patients in improving hygiene and reducing susceptibility to gingivitis and caries. Chemical plaque control involves different mechanisms and is mostly associated with antibacterial effects, but also includes effects on pellicle surface chemistry to improve cleansing or discourage renewed plaque formation. It is the aim of this paper to analyze in vitro detachment of co-aggregating oral actinomyces and streptococci from pellicle surfaces by dentifrice supernates and to study subsequent de novo streptococcal deposition.

Methods

Detachment by dentifrices of a co-adhering bacterial pair was studied in the parallel plate flow chamber on a 16h pellicle coated surface. After detachment by perfusing the chamber with a dentifrice, re-deposition was initiated by flowing with a fresh streptococcal suspension. The dentifrices included both a regular, SLS-fluoride based formulation as well a pyrophosphate, anticalculus and antimicrobial formulations.

Results

All dentifrice supernates containing SLS were effective in detaching co-adhering bacteria from pellicles surfaces, except in combination with SnF₂. When hexametaphosphate was added immediate detachment was relatively low, but continued even during re-deposition. The re-deposition of streptococci after detachment by other, NaF containing dentifrices involved relatively few large aggregates, presumably because fluoride was able to block bi-dentate calcium binding sites on the bacterial cell surfaces, mediating co-adhesion. When pyrophosphate was present in addition to NaF, re-deposition involved significantly more large aggregates, likely because pyrophosphate served as a bi-dentate bridge between calcium bound on the bacterial cell surfaces.

Conclusion

Commercially available dentifrice formulations differ in their ability to stimulate bacterial detachment from pellicles and dependent on their composition yield the formation of large co-adhering aggregates of actinomyces and streptococci in de novo deposition.

Keywords: Co-adhesion, Bacterial adhesion, Dentifrices, Actinomyces, Streptococci