Antimicrobial Dental Devices and Waterlines

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Bacterial contamination of Dental water lines is a major concern in modern Dentistry and may cause infection in Dental patients with compromised immune systems. This includes patients with cancer, diabetes, or AIDS; cardiac patients who often require prophylactic antibiotics prior to Dental treatment; the elderly, young children, and pregnant women. Bacterial levels in Dental water lines can reach 5000 times the American Dental Association's recommended upper limit for safety. Both the American Dental Association and the Centers for Disease Control advocate regular infection control procedures to disinfect the waterlines. Current disinfection methods (prolonged flushing, daily draining, filters, and chemical disinfectants) require regular maintenance and application, which may be impracticable in a busy Dental practice. Bacteria often reside in a biofilm, a dense slimy extracellular matrix in where the majority of bacteria are in a dormant metabolic state. These dormant bacteria are often unaffected by conventional antibiotics. Regular Dental line disinfectants rarely remove the biofilm. A more compelling solution would be to prevent biofilm formation in the first place. In this Phase I STTR project, we will examine the feasibility of a selenium-based antibacterial coating for the lumen of Dental waterlines. Selenium acts as a catalytic generator of superoxide radicals, which kill the bacteria. Selenium can be covalently bound to the interior of the water line tubing and can potentially permanently inhibit biofilm development. We will develop coating methods for polyurethane Dental tubing and test tubing samples for coating continuity and stability. We will also determine the relationship between coating density and antimicrobial efficacy. Finally, we will assess the efficacy of the coated tubing in flow cell experiments using Pseudomonas aeruginosa.