BACTERIAL-COLONIZATION ON TITANIUM, HYDROXYAPATITE, AND AMALGAM SURFACES IN-VIVO

A study was conducted to evaluate qualitative and quantitative differe nces in bacterial colonization on titanium, hydroxyapatite, and amalga m surfaces in vivo. Six healthy adult individuals participated in the study. Two pieces each of titanium, hydroxyapatite, and amalgam of sim ilar size were placed in cobalt-chromium splints and kept intra-orally in each individual for 10 min, and 1, 3, 6, 24, and 72 hrs. After rem oval of the splints, the pieces were rinsed in PBS and transferred to transport medium. After being vortexed, the samples were inoculated on selective and non-selective media for analyses of various facultative and anaerobic bacteria. During the experiment, total viable count inc reased on all surfaces. The investigated bacterial groups constituted, on average, approximately 60 to 99% of the total viable count on all three types of surfaces in each of the experiments, except in the 10-m inute samples, when they constituted around 20 to 30%. Various strepto coccal species predominated and usually constituted > 50% of total via ble count. Similar colonization patterns of Streptococcus spp., Actino myces naeslundii, Neisseria spp., Hemophilus parainfluenzae, Fusobacte rium spp., and black-pigmented Prevotella spp. were seen at all three types of surfaces. No significant differences among the materials rega rding colonization of investigated bacteria were found during the stud y period. This study failed to show any qualitative and quantitative d ifferences in bacterial colonization among these materials. Titanium, hydroxyapatite, and amalgam do not seem to have a marked influence on the early colonization pattern in vivo.