The effect of silver ion-releasing elastomers on mutans streptococci in dental plaque

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the antimicrobial effect of silverized elastomers on mutans streptococci in dental plaque. METHODS: Forty patients undergoing orthodontic treatment were randomly placed into 1 of 2 groups. We examined the maxillary right and left central incisors and premolars, and the mandibular right and left canines of all participants. We ligated the right maxillary and left mandibular teeth of the participants in group 1 with silverized elastomers and ligated their contralateral teeth with conventional elastomers. We ligated the left maxillary teeth and right mandibular teeth of group 2 participants with silverized elastomers. Each participant visited the clinic 4 times at 3-week intervals. We applied the elastomers to the teeth on one side of each patient's mouth during their first visit. During the second visit, the elastomers were removed for microbiological analysis and replaced with steel ligatures. During the third visit, we used silverized elastomers to ligate the teeth contralateral to those treated on the first visit. The elastomers were removed during the fourth visit, and microbiological analyses were performed. We compared the quantity of bacteria on silverized and conventional elastomers at the 0.05 level of significance. RESULTS: The percentage of mutans streptococci was not significantly different in cultures of dental plaque from the silverized and the conventional elastomers (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: There was no significant difference between the antimicrobial effect of the silverized elastomers and that of the conventional elastomers.