Antimicrobial Impact of Different Air-Polishing Powders in a Subgingival Biofilm Model.

Subgingival air-polishing devices (SAPD) can reduce bacterial biofilms and thus support periodontal healing. The authors of this study evaluated the effectiveness of the glycine-based and trehalose-based air-polishing powders in removing pathogenic bacteria in a subgingival biofilm model. We treated 56 subgingival pockets in porcine jaws with SAPD. Subgingival air polishing was performed in three groups of 13 pockets each: I, glycine-based powder; II, trehalose-based powder; and III, water alone. Another group (IV) served as untreated controls. Prior to air polishing, inoculated titanium bars were inserted into the pockets containing periopathogenic bacteria such as and . Remaining bacteria were evaluated using real-time PCR. The numbers of remaining bacteria depended on the treatment procedure, with the lowest number of total bacteria in group I (median: 1.96 × 10 CFU; min: 1.46 × 10; max: 9.30 × 10). Both polishing powders in groups I and II (median: 1.36 × 10 CFU; min: 5.22 × 10; max: 7.50 × 10) showed a statistically significantly lower total bacterial load in comparison to both group IV (median: 2.02 × 10 CFU; min: 5.14 × 10; max: 4.51 × 10; < 0.05) and group III (median: 4.58 × 10 CFU; min: 2.00 × 10; max: 3.06 × 10; < 0.05). Both subgingival air-polishing powders investigated can reduce periopathogenic bacteria and thus support antimicrobial therapy approaches in periodontal treatment regimens.