Subgingival Bacterial Profiles and Antimicrobial Susceptibility in Patients with Fixed Orthodontic Appliances: A Comparative Study

• Tahani A M Jabral

  Department of Microbiology, School of Basic Sciences, Libyan Academy for Postgraduate Studies, Benghazi Branch, Benghazi, Libya

  Author

• Salha Farag Ben Jweiref

  Department of Microbiology, School of Basic Sciences, Libyan Academy for Postgraduate Studies, Benghazi Branch, Benghazi, Libya

  Author

Fixed orthodontic appliances can retain dental plaque and modify the subgingival environment. This comparative cross-sectional study evaluated cultivable subgingival bacteria and antimicrobial susceptibility among patients with fixed orthodontic appliances and non-orthodontic controls in Benghazi, Libya. One hundred participants were enrolled between June and October 2023: 50 had worn fixed metallic appliances for at least 3 months, and 50 had no orthodontic appliance. Subgingival samples were collected with sterile paper points from central incisor, first premolar, and first molar sites, cultured on selective and differential media, and identified by Gram staining, biochemical tests, and the RENDER MA120 automated system. Antimicrobial susceptibility was evaluated by Kirby–Bauer disk diffusion. Sixty-seven isolates representing 11 bacterial species were identified (38 orthodontic and 29 control isolates). In the orthodontic group, Staphylococcus aureus was most frequent (26.32%), followed by viridans streptococci (23.68%) and Staphylococcus simulans (13.16%). In controls, viridans streptococci predominated (34.48%), followed by Streptococcus pyogenes (20.69%) and Enterobacter spp. (17.24%). The orthodontic group showed broader species diversity. Doxycycline and amoxicillin/clavulanic acid showed the most consistent activity, whereas metronidazole and, for several orthodontic isolates, oxacillin showed high resistance. Fixed appliances were accompanied by a broader cultivable subgingival bacterial profile, supporting reinforced oral hygiene, periodontal monitoring, and culture-guided antimicrobial selection

1. Salha Farag Ben Jweiref, Department of Microbiology, School of Basic Sciences, Libyan Academy for Postgraduate Studies, Benghazi Branch, Benghazi, Libya

    Subgingival Bacterial Profiles and Antimicrobial Susceptibility in Patients with Fixed Orthodontic Appliances: A Comparative Study 

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