Impact of early biofilm on the assessment of initial enamel erosion with swept-source optical coherence tomography

• Main Authors: Abdul Aziz, Azwatee, Garcia Gonzalez, Maria Angela, Yap, Adrian Ujin
• Format: Article
• Published: Quintessence Publ Co Inc, 2021
• Subjects: RK Dentistry; Oral surger
• Online Access: http://eprints.um.edu.my/27088/

Objective: This study examined the impact of early biofilm on the tooth surface, during the assessment of initial enamel erosion using swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT). Method and materials: Forty-five enamel windows of 2 x 4 mm(2) were prepared on 23 extracted human teeth. The specimens were exposed to citric acid (pH 3.2) for 30 minutes and randomly divided into three groups (n = 15): Group 1, no biofilm; Group 2, 1- day-old biofilm; and Group 3, 3-day-old biofilm. Specimens in Groups 2 and 3 were inoculated with oral bacteria (Streptococcus sanguinis, Streptococcus mitis, and Actinomyces naeslundii) to produce early laboratory-cultivated biofilms for 1 and 3 days respectively. Surface microhardness (SMH) measurements were taken at pre- (t(1)) and post-erosion (t(2)); and SS-OCT scans were done at t(1), t(2), and post-biofilm cultivation (t(3)). Integrated reflectivity (IR) of the tooth-air interface (IRsurface) and enamel (IRenamel) were computed from the mean A-scans. Statistical analysis was performed using paired t tests and one-way ANOVA (a =.05). Results: A significant increase in IRenamel was observed at t(2) (P <.05). At t(3), IRsurface between Group 1 (control) and Group 2 (P =.012) as well as Group 3 (P =.001) were significantly different. Significant variances in IR(ename)l were perceived between t(2) and t(3) for Groups 2 and 3 but not for Group 1. Conclusion: As early biofilm affected SS-OCT assessment of initial enamel erosion, they should be removed from the tooth surface prior to OCT procedures.