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Growth of dental plaque on hydroxyapatite splints
Author(s) -
Lie Tryggve
Publication year - 1974
Publication title -
journal of periodontal research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.31
H-Index - 83
eISSN - 1600-0765
pISSN - 0022-3484
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0765.1974.tb00665.x
Subject(s) - splints , splint (medicine) , materials science , epoxy , scanning electron microscope , dentistry , transmission electron microscopy , smear layer , composite material , orthodontics , medicine , nanotechnology
A technique was developed for growing dental plaque in vivo on an artificial surface which contains hydroxyapatite. Splints made of hydroxyapatite crystals embedded in an epoxy resin were adapted and cemented to the buccal surfaces of maxillary teeth in human test subjects. The splints were left in place for 24 or 48 hours. Observations in scanning and transmission electron microscopes revealed that plaque accumulated both in epoxy resin and hydroxyapatite areas of the splint surface. An extensive network of thread‐like structures connected the individual organisms to each other and to the underlying pellicle layer. This layer generally was somewhat thicker on the crystal surfaces than on the epoxy resin, possibly due to enhanced absorption of glycoproteins to the high energy surface of the hydroxyapatite crystals. Advantages of the splint method are: 1) Easy and rapid technique unrestricted by the presence of cavities or available teeth for extraction. 2) Plaque development may occur on hydroxyapatite surfaces which can be readily sectioned for transmission electron microscopy without decalcification. 3) Sequential colonization can be studied by removing segments of the splint at different time intervals.