The influence of provisional fixed prosthodontic materials surface on the adhesion of Streptococcus mutans

Relevance of the problem: the importance of provisional fixed restorations is usually overlooked. Given their short application period in the mouth they are made in the end of the appointment, adjusted and polished in a hurry. The surface of provisional restorations is rougher than the one of natural teeth. It creates perfect conditions for microorganisms to grow and complications to occur. The aim of this study: to investigate the adhesion of Streptococcus mutans on provisional fixed prosthodontic materials when they are polished, not polished, polished and wiped with ethanol as well as not polished and wiped with ethanol. Material and the methods: in this research three provisional fixed prosthodontic materials were used: Protemp 4 (3M ESPE, Germany), Structur 3 (VOCO, Germany) and Harvard TEMP C&B (Harvard Dental, Germany). All subjects were prepared in four different ways: polished, not polished, polished and wiped with ethanol as well as not polished and wiped with ethanol. An in vitro laboratorial experiment was carried out using a Streptococcus mutans ATCC 25175 culture. The adhesion of Streptococcus mutans was evaluated by counting the number of cultivated colonies. Data analysis was made using SPSS software version 19.0, Mann-Whitney U test and Microsoft Office Excel 2011. Results: statistically significant results (p0,05). Conclusions: after evaluating the adhesion of Streptococcus mutans on Protemp 4, Structur 3 and Harvard TEMP C&B differently prepared surfaces, statistically significant results (p