Preventive
Francis Paoli (she/her/hers)
Dental Student and Research Assistant
University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
Aurora, Colorado, United States
Pinky Kadur, DDS
University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
Gannon Kehe, BS
University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
Devatha Nair, Ph.D.
University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
Chaitanya P. Puranik, BDS, MS, MDS, PhD
Assistant Professor and Director of Predoctoral Education
University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
Children's Hospital Colorado and School of Dental Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
Aurora, Colorado, United States
Michael Schurr, Ph.D.
University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
Chaitanya P. Puranik, BDS, MS, MDS, PhD
Assistant Professor and Director of Predoctoral Education
University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
Children's Hospital Colorado and School of Dental Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
Aurora, Colorado, United States
Purpose: This in-vitro study investigated the inhibitory potential of an acrylated hydroxyazobenzene (AHA) coating over resin-based pit-and-fissure sealants on Streptococcus mutans (Sm) growth.
Methods: Commercially available sealant was applied on occlusal surfaces of extracted human molars (n=12) and cured for 40-seconds as per the manufacturer’s instructions. AHA coating of 4.2±0.4μl was placed over the sealants and cured for 40-seconds. AHA-coated (test) and uncoated molars (control) were further subdivided into 2 groups with or without 6-months equivalent toothbrushing. All samples were washed with 70% ethyl alcohol for 15-minutes, followed by 5-minutes of UV-irradiation. Substrates (sealed molars±AHA) were incubated in phosphate-buffered saline containing 1% Penicillin-Streptomycin overnight and then washed. Sm (107) were seeded on substrates and cultured for 24-hours at 37ºC and 5% CO2 in Brain Heart Infusion Agar (BHI) with 1% sucrose. Media was replenished after 24-hours. At 48-hours, substrates and surrounding media were sonicated, serially diluted, and seeded onto BHI plates. Sm on substrates and surrounding media were quantified using colony forming units.
Results: Dilution from AHA-coated molars and surrounding media did not demonstrate the growth of a single Sm colony on BHI plates. Similarly, 6-months of toothbrushing did not impact the AHA-mediated Sm inhibition. In contrast, dilutions from uncoated molars and surrounding media, regardless of toothbrushing, demonstrated the proliferation of abundant Sm colonies (103-107).
Conclusion: AHA-coating over sealants inhibited cariogenic Sm growth, in vitro, while demonstrating a zone of inhibition around the substrate (envelope effect). The AHA-mediated inhibition of Sm was intact even after 6-months of equivalent toothbrushing.