Researchers from Valencia (Spain), London (England) and Sul (Brazil) have performed research to develop adhesive materials that will prevent white stains from appearing on the teeth of people who use brackets.
The white stains that orthodontic brackets often leave on teeth is a result of enamel demineralization caused by bacterial proliferation in the adhesive area, especially when accompanied by inadequate oral hygiene.
Researchers at the Odontology Department of Valencia’s Universidad CEU Cardenal Herrera in collaboration with the King’s College London Dental Institute and the Universidade Federaldo Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil) have compared the efficacy of three new types of experimental adhesives, with bactericidal and enamel remineralisation properties which could prevent the appearance of these white stains around the brackets.
The research has been published in the Journal of Dentistry scientific magazine, one of the most prestigious in the field on an international level.
Bactericidal & Remineralisation Properties:
The study compares three experimental dental adhesives which contain a bioactive nano-mineral called halloysite and whose nanotubes have been loaded with triclosan, a strong antibacterial and fungicidal agent in different concentrations: 5, 10 and 20 per cent.
The research compares the three new, experimental biomaterials’ polymerisation properties, their antibacterial strength and bioactive properties, which not only prevent demineralization of the teeth, but also promote remineralisation.
The three experimental materials tested in the laboratory have demonstrated an ability to stop bacterial proliferation in the 24 hours following their use, but only the one with the highest concentration of triclosan, at 20 per cent, has maintained this property after 72 hours.
As far as the remineralising effect, all three tested materials have proven to be effective two weeks after their use in dental enamel samples submerged in experimental saliva.
These results are a promising step forward in the development of new adhesives that are capable of preventing the appearance of the bacteria that demineralise the enamel surrounding the brackets and, at the same time, remineralise the area and thus prevent the appearance of white stains on the teeth.
More information on the “Polymerisation, antibacterial and bioactivity properties of experimental orthodontic adhesives containing triclosan-loaded halloysite nanotubes” article, published in the Journal of Dentistry, can be found on ScienceDirect and PubMed.
