Understanding the Effect of Antimicrobial Oral Formulations at Model Surfaces

In order to improve our oral health, it is important to understand the interactions between bacteria, the teeth and the active components in oral formulations (e.g. toothpaste).
In vivo and in vitro studies provide quantifiable data, such as bacterial composition or percentage of bacteria killed, and provide insights on the efficacy of the oral formulations. However, due to the complexity of the mouth and teeth, it is difficult to control the large number of variables and characterise the system sufficiently in order to develop structure-property relationships that underpin the interactions between active components, the substrate and bacteria.
This study utilises a well-defined model substrate of enamel, one that is uniform and controllable, as confirmed via scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy. Here, we explore the behaviour of single cell bacteria and biofilms on the surface of a substrate. This knowledge is both fundamental and beneficial when designing new oral care products.