Adhesion of streptococci to titanium and zirconia

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the adherence of streptococci to disks of titanium (commercially pure titanium: CpTi) and zirconia (tetragonal zirconia polycrystals: TZP). CpTi and yttria-stabilized TZP disks with a mirror-polished surface were used as specimens. The arithmetic mean surface roughness (Ra and Sa) and the surface wettability of the experimental specimens were measured. For analyzing the outermost layer of the experimental specimens, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis was performed.Streptococcus sanguinis,S.gordonii,S.oralis, andS.mutanswere used as streptococcal bacterial strains. These bacterial cultures were grown for 24 h on CpTi and TZP. The number of bacterial adhesions was estimated using an ATP-bioluminescent assay, and scanning electron microscope (SEM) observation of the adhered bacterial specimens was performed. No significant differences in surface roughness or wettability were found between CpTi and TZP. In XPS analyses, outermost layer of CpTi included Ti0 and Ti4+, and outermost layer of TZP included Zr4+. In the cell adhesion assay, the adherences ofS.sanguinis,S.gordonii, andS.oralisto TZP were significantly lower than those to CpTi (p < 0.05); however, significant difference was not observed forS.mutansamong the specimens. The adherence to CpTi and TZP ofS.mutanswas significantly lower than that ofS.sanguinis,S.gordonii, andS.oralis. These results were confirmed by SEM.S.sanguinis,S.gordonii, andS.oralisadhered less to TZP than to CpTi, but the adherence ofS.mutanswas similar to both surfaces.S.mutanswas less adherent compare with the other streptococci tested in those specimens.