Bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation on the surfaces of dental and orthodontic biomaterials is primary responsible for oral diseases and biomaterial deterioration. A number of alternatives to reduce bacterial adhesion to biomaterials, including surface modification using a variety of techniques, has been proposed. Even though surface modification has demonstrated a reduction in bacterial adhesion, information on surface modification and biomimetics to reduce bacterial adhesion to a surface is scarce. Therefore, the main objective of this work was to assess bacterial adhesion to orthodontic archwires that were modified following a biomimetic approach. The sample consisted of 0.017 × 0.025, 10 mm-long 316L stainless steel and NiTi orthodontic archwire fragments. For soft lithography, a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) stamp was obtained after duplicating the surface of Colocasia esculenta (L) Schott leaves. Topography transfer to the archwires was performed using silica sol. Surface hydrophobicity was assessed by contact angle and surface roughness by atomic force microscopy. Bacterial adhesion was evaluated using Streptococcus mutans. The topography of the Colocasia esculenta (L) Schott leaf was successfully transferred to the surface of the archwires. Contact angle and roughness between modified and unmodified archwire surfaces was statistically significant. A statistically significant reduction in Streptococcus mutans adhesion to modified archwires was also observed.
Bacterial adhesion to surfaces is the first step in biofilm formation, which leads to the development of conditions that may compromise the health status of patients. Surface modification has been proposed to reduce bacterial adhesion to biomaterials. The objective of this work was to assess and compare Streptococcus mutans adhesion to the surface of biomimetically-modified stainless steel using different topographies. Stainless steel plates were modified using a soft lithography technique following a biomimetic approach. The leaves from Colocasia esculenta, Crocosmia aurea and Salvinia molesta were used as surface models. Silica sol was synthesized using the sol-gel method. Following a soft lithography technique, the surface of the leaves were transferred to the surface of the SS plates. Natural and modified surfaces were characterized by means of atomic force microscopy and contact angle. Streptococcus mutans was used to assess bacterial adhesion. Contact angle measurements showed that natural leaves are highly hydrophobic, but such hydrophobicity could not be transferred to the metallic plates. Roughness varied among the leaves and increased after transference for C. esculenta and decreased for C. aurea. In general, two of the surface models used in this investigation showed positive results for reduction of bacterial adhesion (C. aurea and C. esculenta), while the other showed an increase in bacterial adhesion (S. molesta). Therefore, since a biomimetic approach using natural surfaces showed opposite results, careful selection of the surface model needs to be taken into consideration.
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