An acrylic ampoule represents a denture surface in a microcalorimetric biofilm problem

An acrylic microcalorimetric ampoule with inserts represented a denture sur face in a Streptococcus mutans biofilm study. The biofilm of micro-organism s did not contain as many micro-organisms as those previously studied in pl anktonic suspension. A more sensitive microcalorimeter (Thermometric's ther mal activity monitor) was required to detect the metabolism of S. mutans ad hered to an engineered acrylic flow-through ampoule. Biofilm heat outputs w ere obtained in the acrylic ampoule following standardized procedures with cryopreserved aliquots of a homogeneous suspension of S. mutans.