Caries associated microflora in plaque from orthodontic appliances retained with glass ionomer cement

The caries associated microflora in dental plaque adjacent to orthodontic brackets retained with a glass ionomer cement (GIC) and a resin based composite was investigated using the split-mouth technique. 3, 8, and 28 days after the onset of the appliances, 48-h-old plaque was sampled. An increasing prevalence of mutans streptococci and lactobacilli in plaque from both retaining materials was found. A tendency to colonize more frequently around the composite retained brackets was noticed for both types of bacteria. The proportion of mutans streptococci in relation to the total viable count was significantly higher in plaque samples from composite retained brackets compared to GIC retained 1 month after onset of treatment. The results suggest that a less caries inducing microflora may develop when GIC is used as luting agent in orthodontic dentistry.