The Effects of Dental Hygiene Instruments on Streptococcus sanguinis Adhesion to Titanium Implant Abutments

Maintenance of dental implant with different hygiene methods or instruments may cause a surface alteration. It directly affects bacterial colonization and adhesion on titanium implant surfaces that result in peri-implant diseases. This study aimed to compare the Streptococcus sanguinis (S. sanguinis) adhesion on titanium implant abutments after instrumentation with a rubber cup with pumice and erbium, chromium-doped: yttrium, scandium, gallium, and garnet (Er, Cr: YSGG) laser using scanning electron microscope (SEM) observation and colony-forming unit (CFU) measurement.

Twenty-one MegaGen titanium implant abutments were randomly distributed into three groups. Seven abutments were respectively selected for the control/untreated (C) group, while the other two groups were treated with rubber cups with pumice (P) and Er, Cr: YSGG laser (L). All samples were cultured with S. sanguinis for bacterial colonization and adhesion. One sample for each group was selected for SEM observation, while the other samples were prepared for CFU calculation.

For SEM results, at 2,000× magnification, machining marks were intact in the C group, roughened in the L group, and smoothened in the P group. At 5,000× and 10,000× magnifications, moderate colonies of S. sanguinis were revealed in C and L groups, while sparse bacterial colonies were detected in the P group. However, for CFU results, statistical analysis showed no significant value (p>0.05) comparing all three groups.

P instrumentation revealed a lesser amount of S. sanguinis adhesion in SEM photographs, but no statistical significance of CFU results was noted for all three groups.