Journal
JOURNAL OF THE MECHANICAL BEHAVIOR OF BIOMEDICAL MATERIALS
Volume 59, Issue -, Pages 197-206Publisher
ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV
DOI: 10.1016/j.jmbbm.2015.12.012
Keywords
Biofilm; Oral hygiene; High-speed camera; Fluid dynamics; Mechanical properties; Viscoelasticity
Funding
- EPSRC DTP award [EP/K503130/1]
- Philips Oral Helathcare, Bothell, WA, USA
- Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council [1261738] Funding Source: researchfish
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Using high-speed imaging we assessed Streptococcus mutans biofilm-fluid interactions during exposure to a 60-ms microspray burst with a maximum exit velocity of 51 m/s. S. mutans UA159 biofilms were grown for 72 h on 10 mm-length glass slides pre-conditioned with porcine gastric mucin. Biofilm stiffness was measured by performing uniaxial-compression tests. We developed an in-vitro interproximal model which allowed the parallel insertion of two biofilm-colonized slides separated by a distance of 1 mm and enabled high-speed imaging of the removal process at the surface. S. mutans biofilms were exposed to either a water microspray or an air-only microburst. High-speed videos provided further insight into the mechanical behaviour of biofilms as complex liquids and into high-shear fluid-biofilm interaction. We documented biofilms extremely transient fluid behaviour when exposed to the high-velocity microsprays. The presence of time-dependent recoil and residual deformation confirmed the pivotal role of viscoelasticity in biofilm removal. The air-only microburst was effective enough to remove some of the biofilm but created a smaller clearance zone underlying the importance of water and the air-water interface of drops moving over the solid surface in the removal process. Confocal and COMSTAT analysis showed the high-velocity water microspray caused up to a 99.9% reduction in biofilm thickness, biomass and area coverage, within the impact area. (C) 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available