Antimicrobial efficacy of orthodontic primer added with silver nanoparticles. Cross-sectional in vitro study

The antimicrobial efficacy of the silver nanoparticles (NPsAg), incorporated into the adhesive (primer) placed in the enamel adjacent to fixed orthodontic appliances (brackets), was evaluated. An experimental study was performed on 40 premolars in vitro, which were divided into two groups with brackets, one cemented with conventional primer and another added with NPsAg, placed in culture media previously inoculated with Streptococcus mutans, and sampled for culturing and counting colony forming units (UFC) on days 1, 15 and 30. A decrease in the presence of Streptococcus mutans in the samples after 15 days with nanoparticle aggregation was observed, and a reduction in the effect of said nanoparticles after 30 days. This reduction of the nanoparticles effects can be due to the absence of mechanical cleaning, which favored the bacterial aggregation on the biofilm, affecting its antimicrobial effect. This suggest the need for realizing studies in “vivo” which will allow the observation of the behavior of the biometals on the buccal medium. The NPsAg added to the primer are an effective tool to prevent the demineralization of the enamel around the fixed orthodontic appliances.