Secondary caries is a disease associated with the formation of biofilm on the border of the tooth and dental filling. Its development is strongly influenced by the dietary sweet foods and the type of dental material. The aim of the study was to assess the effect of sweeteners on the ability of clinical Streptococcus mutans strains to form biofilm on dental materials. Strains were isolated from plaque samples from 40 pediatric patients from the 3-6 ICADS II group. The ability to form biofilm was tested on composite and glass ionomer dental materials used for milk teeth filling in the presence of sucrose, xylitol, sorbitol, and erythritol. The bacterial film mass after 12, 24, 48, and 72 h and the number of bacterial colonies significantly decreased (p < 0.01) compared to the initial value for 5% erythritol and sorbitol on examined materials. A greater inhibitory effect was noted for glass ionomers compared to composites. Sucrose and xylitol supported biofilm formation, while erythritol had the best inhibitory effect. The use of fluoride-releasing glass ionomers exerted an effect synergistic to erythritol, i.e., inhibited plaque formation and the amount of cariogenic S. mutans. Selection of proper type of dental material together with replacing sucrose with polyols can significantly decrease risk of secondary caries development. Erithritol in combination with glass ionomer seems to be the most effective in secondary caries prevention.
Keywords: Streptococcus mutans; cariogenic biofilm; children caries; dental materials; polyols.