[Prevention of cariogenic dental plaque. Study of the structures implicated in the adhesion and coaggregation in...

Cariogenic dental plaque may be assimilated to a biofilm resulting from the adhesion of S. mutans, then from the coaggregation of other streptococci, or other genus. We used a static monospecific biofilm model. Supports or bacteria were treated with inhibitors before adhesion in order to clarify the nature of adhesins responsible for the primary adhesion of S. mutans and S. sobrinus on Tygon. To determine the bindings of coaggregation, inhibitors were applied on one-day-old biofilms. Analysis of effects were performed by automatic inoculator Spiral (Interscience) for microbiological methods, and by SEM JEOL 5400 LV for microscopic methods. In the aim of preventing adhesion and coaggregation, different traps were assayed:sugars, chemical inhibitors such as F- and EDTA salts. Of these, only the latter showed efficiency. This confirmed the role of bivalent mineral ions and electrostatic attraction forces in the adhesion and coaggregation of streptococci.