Abstract
Dental braces improve the function of the tooth-jaw system and aesthetics, but due to difficult tooth cleaning, the risk of cavities in the tooth enamel or inflammation of the gums, due to bacteria from dental plaque, is high. This thesis describes various measures against the problems caused by dental plaque.
The interaction of electric brushing and antibacterial agents was examined. It has been found that the plaque becomes more permeable through the use of an electric toothbrush. Moreover, by combining an electric toothbrush with an antibacterial toothpaste and mouthwash, the amount of plaque decreases and its composition becomes less harmful.
Antibacterial agents are very effective in disarming dental plaque, but bacteria can also become resistant to antibacterial agents. Therefore we examined the response of various bacteria present in the oral cavity when they are exposed to low doses of a commonly used antibacterial agent. Different bacteria showed different recovery and response mechanisms and the type of reaction seems to be associated with bacteria becoming resistant or not.
To overcome the problem of resistance, a bacterial ‘contact-killing’ 3D printable composite was developed. The effectiveness of bacterial ‘contact-killing’ materials is still uncertain because there are different methods to investigate this. We have compared 5 methods and found that three of these are unsuitable. Using the appropriate methods, we observed that this material and kills bacteria upon contact and has good clinical properties. In practice, the can lead to fewer dental plaque related problems like cavities and inflammation of the gums.
The interaction of electric brushing and antibacterial agents was examined. It has been found that the plaque becomes more permeable through the use of an electric toothbrush. Moreover, by combining an electric toothbrush with an antibacterial toothpaste and mouthwash, the amount of plaque decreases and its composition becomes less harmful.
Antibacterial agents are very effective in disarming dental plaque, but bacteria can also become resistant to antibacterial agents. Therefore we examined the response of various bacteria present in the oral cavity when they are exposed to low doses of a commonly used antibacterial agent. Different bacteria showed different recovery and response mechanisms and the type of reaction seems to be associated with bacteria becoming resistant or not.
To overcome the problem of resistance, a bacterial ‘contact-killing’ 3D printable composite was developed. The effectiveness of bacterial ‘contact-killing’ materials is still uncertain because there are different methods to investigate this. We have compared 5 methods and found that three of these are unsuitable. Using the appropriate methods, we observed that this material and kills bacteria upon contact and has good clinical properties. In practice, the can lead to fewer dental plaque related problems like cavities and inflammation of the gums.
| Original language | English |
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| Qualification | Doctor of Philosophy |
| Awarding Institution |
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| Supervisors/Advisors |
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| Award date | 10-Jul-2019 |
| Place of Publication | [Groningen] |
| Publisher | |
| Print ISBNs | 978-94-6380-402-8 |
| Electronic ISBNs | 978-94-034-1839-1 |
| Publication status | Published - 2019 |