In Vitro Determination of Genotoxicity and Cytotoxicity Induced by Stainless Steel Brackets with and without Surface Coating in Cultures of Oral Mucosal Cells

Abstract PURPOSE: Orthodontics is a specialty of dentistry that uses a plethora of devices made from myriad materials to manage various malocclusions. As these orthodontic appliances are present in the oral cavity for a specific period of time they come in contact with oral tissues and hence induce cytotoxic or genotoxic reactions. The oral environment during orthodontic treatment plays a pivotal role in causing biodegradation and corrosion due to changes in the properties of metal alloys this warrants special consideration regarding the biocompatibility of different metals used for orthodontic treatment. To analyze the genotoxicity and cytotoxicity produced by metal brackets and coated metallic brackets with polymeric and nanoparticle coatings in oral mucosal cells. MATERIALS & METHODS: The current study was a case-control prospective in-vitro study wherein toxicity of 3 different types of orthodontic brackets was compared with control groups of oral mucosal cells. Each of the three treatment groups consisted of 10 samples exposed to corrosion eluates from Stainless steel metallic brackets, polymeric coated Polydopamine brackets, and nanoparticle coated Titanium dioxide brackets. Two types of oral mucosal cells- Human Gingival Fibroblasts and Buccal Epithelial Cells were used to study cellular alterations through cytotoxic and/or genotoxic effects of the elutes. RESULTS: The interaction between metal ions and oral mucosal cells showed no statistically significant difference for toxicity assays between the groups. The polymeric and nanoparticle-coated groups showed reduced cellular alteration when compared with conventional stainless-steel brackets. CONCLUSION: This in-vitro study shows polymeric or nanoparticle coating of conventional metal brackets offers an alternativefor maintaining healthy oral flora within the oral cavity during orthodontic therapy. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Nanoparticle coatings for orthodontic brackets suggest possible improvements in corrosion resistance and antibacterial properties in oral cavity during orthodontic therapy.