Sensitivity of caries pathogens to antimicrobial peptides related to caries risk.

OBJECTIVES: Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) represent important facets of the immune system controlling infectious diseases. However, pathogens show varying susceptibilities to AMPs. This study investigates the susceptibilities of strains of Streptococcus mutans (SM), Actinomyces naeslundii (AN), and Lactobacillus spp. (LB) towards AMPs and if there are correlations between the appearance of such high-risk strains and clinical caries status. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Plaque samples were collected from patients along with clinical examinations. Bacterial strains were identified via selective media, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization analysis-time of flight (MALDI-TOF), and arbitrary-primed-PCR (AP-PCR). Each strain was tested for susceptibility to LL-37, HBD-2, HNP-1, and HNP-3 or phosphate-buffered saline as negative control in a biofilm model on hydroxylapatite discs. Survival rates and resulting risk classification for each strain were determined. Correlations were calculated between the number of high-risk strains (all/S. mutans) appearing in patients and their clinical caries status. RESULTS: Forty-seven patients were included with mean DMFT values of 11.4 ± 8.7. A total of 8 different SM, 30 LB, and 47 AN strains were detected. One-way ANOVA indicated that type/concentration of AMPs had major influence on reductions of Lactobacilli and Actinomyces. Seventeen strains of AN, 2 of SM, and 6 of LB had low susceptibilities to AMPs. The number of such strains in patients showed significant positive correlations to the DMFT values (all p = 0.001; r = 0.452; S. mutans p < 0.0001, r = 0.558). CONCLUSION: The occurrence of low susceptible strains to AMPs seems to correlate with the individual caries status. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The results may lead to new ways to identify individuals with increased caries risk.

Comparison of chairside and laboratory CAD/CAM to conventional produced all-ceramic crowns regarding morphology, occlusion, and aesthetics.

OBJECTIVES: There are many ways to produce all-ceramic crowns. Computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) procedures compete against conventional fabricated restorations. As different methods of production may produce variable results, this study aims to compare chairside and laboratory-based CAD/CAM systems to conventional crowns regarding their similarity to original tooth morphology, number of occlusal contacts, occlusal adjustment time, and subjective aesthetic perception. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Impressions of caries-free jaws were taken, and the resulting gypsum casts were scanned with a laboratory scanner. Preparations for all-ceramic full crowns were performed on first molars, and three different restorations were made: CEREC restorations (CER), laboratory-produced CAD/CAM crowns (LABCAD), and conventional waxed-up/pressed ceramic crowns (CONV). Time for occlusal adaptation and the number of occlusal contacts were noted. Two dentists performed aesthetic gradings of restorations. Statistical analysis included one-way ANOVA with least significant difference (LSD) post hoc test, t test, and Kruskal-Wallis test. RESULTS: Metrical deviations of the re-scanned crowns to the original, unprepared tooth surface were 220.55 ± 54.31 µm for CER, 265.94 ± 61.39 for LABCAD, and 252.44 ± 68.77 µm for CONV group. One-way ANOVA showed significant lower deviations for the CER group. LABCAD crowns showed significantly more occlusal contacts, whereas CONV crowns required the least time for occlusal adaptation and showed excellent aesthetic gradings. CONCLUSION: All three methods had pros and cons regarding different parameters. Further improvements of CAD/CAM software shall lead to restorations comparable to conventional restorations in all aspects, especially in aesthetics. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: All tested methods of production for all-ceramic crowns produced clinically acceptable results. Thus, in an individual case, the method chosen can be determined by the dentist's preference.