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The purpose of this study was to examine the change in plaque area over nine days in vivo on four materials with different surface free-energies (s.f e.). Twelve healthy dental students participated in a cross-over, split-mouth, double-blind study. Supragingival plaque formation was recorded over a nine-day period, on four different materials: fluorethylenepropylene (Teflon) (FEP), parafilm (PAR), cellulose acetate (CA), and enamel (E) with s.f. e. of 20, 26, 57, and 88 erg/cm², respectively. Strips made from the first three materials were stack to the buccal surface of an upper incisor. The remaining incisor was carefully polished and served as an enamel surface. The increase in plaque was evaluated after three, six, and nine days. A planimetrical analysis was used so that the plaque area could be expressed as a percentage of the total buccal tooth surface. This procedure was repeated on each subject, so that at the end, each pair of central or lateral incisors received the four tested materials. The results indicated that the adherence of micro-organisms on pellicle-coated substrata was influenced by the material's s.f e.; there was an association between the s.f.e.. of the substrata and the supra-gingival plaque extension in vivo. High surface free-energy substrata in the oral cavity attracted more micro-organisms than did low energetic materials. Additionally, the bacterial adhesion seemed very weak on surfaces with a low s.f. e. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Periodontology has broadened its scope by the research and clinical use of osseointegrated implants. Since tactile and reflex functions have been associated with periodontal ligament neural receptors, osseoperception could be associated with endosseous and/or periosteal innervation.