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Abstract

Contact angle measurements on layers of bacteria were used to determine the bacterial surface free energy (γ_b) of a variety of oral streptococcal strains, both without and after being coated with human whole saliva. At least four isolates of each species, either freshly isolated or laboratory strains, were used.

The species Streptococcus mutans, S. sanguis, and S. salivarius were homogeneous, having high surface free energies, and were not affected by saliva treatment (γ_b = 106 ± 12 and 107 ± 10 erg·cm^-2 in the absence and presence of saliva coating, respectively; n = 20). S. mitis had a very low surface free energy (46 ± 15; n = 5), which was significantly increased after salivary adsorption (71 ± 14 erg·cm^-2; p<0.002). The species S. milleri contained strains with both high and low γ_b.

Calculation of the interfacial free energy of adhesion (ΔF_adh) for bacteria from a saliva suspension to solid surfaces with various arbitrary surface free energies (γ_s) showed that, theoretically, most strains will encounter thermodynamically favorable conditions for adhesion to surfaces with a γ_s above 62 erg·cm^-2. However, S. mitis strains not coated with saliva would only be able to adhere to surfaces with γ_s lower than this value. Saliva-coating reverses the calculated relationship with γ_s for these strains.

The results indicate that an enamel surface with a low γ_s value would be thermodynamically unfavorable for adhesion of most oral streptococci.

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The Surface Free Energy of Oral Streptococci after being Coated with Saliva and its Relation to Adhesion in the Mouth

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