Effect of milk and milk components on the in-situ pellicle

• Applicants: Professor Dr. Matthias Hannig; Dr. Anna Kensche
• Subject Area: Dentistry, Oral Surgery
• Term: from 2016 to 2019
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 318579213

The incidences of caries and erosion are attributed to bioadhesion processes at the tooth surface. In this context, the pellicle is regarded as the crucial mediator for the physiological and pathophysiological processes occuring on the dental hard tissues. Due to the selective adsorption of specific salivary components the pellicle is formed within a very short time on all hard surfaces in the oral cavity. The intentional modification of this physiological protein- and glycoprotein layer by the application of biological or biomimetic preparations in order to improve the protective pellicle properties appears to be an innovative prospective approach in oral prophylaxis. Against this background, it is necessary to note that milk contains various caseins which due to their micellar organization appear to resemble certain components involved in pellicle formation. Hence, the adsorption of native as well as modified caseins seems to be a possible attempt to improve the caries- and erosion protective potential of the in-situ pellicle. Furthermore, casein-micelles could serve as potential nanocarriers for the application of protective components at the tooth surface. However, the interaction of caseins with the in-situ pellicle has so far not been investigated in detail. Therefore, the proposed clinical-experimental study aims to examine the effect of different types of milk, milk components and milk derivatives on the In-situ pellicle. Emphasis will be given to transmission electron microscopic investigation of ultrastructural modifications as well as the adsorption of caseins to the in-situ pellicle; the casein-accumulation will be quantified by ELISA. Additionally, initial bacterial colonization will be determined for selected rinses by fluorescence-based methods. The investigations will contribute fundamentally to the understanding of the modification of oral bioadhesion processes. Furthermore, a basis for the development of innovative biological approaches in preventive dentistry will be created.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Co-Investigator: Professor Dr. Christian Hannig