Alumina shot-blasted particles on commercially pure titanium surfaces prevent bacterial attachment

Bacterial attachment to the exposed surface of dental implants is hazardous for the surrounding tissues. A new methodological approach to test in vitro the adhesion of Streptococcus sanguinis and Lactobacillus salivarius to titanium surfaces in modified artificial saliva medium is reported in this work. These are among the most abundant bacteria in mouth. Smooth and shot-blasted titanium samples with different surface treatments were tested with this methodology. Titanium samples shot-blasted with small alumina particles showed the lowest adhesion values of S. sanguinis and L salivarius, suggesting that smooth surfaces might not always be the best option in order to avoid dental plaque formation. The proposed methodology is a useful approach for the in vitro study of bacterial attachment to biomaterials in simulated human oral conditions.(C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.