OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of delmopinol and fluoride alone or in combination on acid adaptation and acid production in plaque biofilm bacteria in vitro. DESIGN: The effect of delmopinol and fluoride on acid adaptation was tested by exposing the biofilm bacteria, grown in a mini-flow cell system under static conditions, to pH 5.5 overnight in the presence of 0.16 mM delmopinol, 1 mF NaF or a combination of both. The following day, acid adaptation was evaluated by exposing the cells to an acid challenge for 2h at a pH known to kill non-adapted cells (pH 2.5). The cells were stained using LIVE/DEAD BacLight Viability stain and the number of viable (acid tolerant) cells was determined using confocal scanning laser microscopy. Control cells were treated in the same manner but without the exposure to delmopinol or fluoride. How delmopinol and fluoride affected acid production was assessed by measuring the pH-drop after glucose pulsing in the presence of delmopinol and/or different concentrations of fluoride. RESULTS: Fluoride alone or in combination with delmopinol affected the acid adaptation and significantly reduced the acid tolerance of the plaque biofilm. This effect was more pronounced when the two compounds were combined. Delmopinol alone did not affect acid adaptation. A combination of delmopinol and fluoride also reduced acid production at concentrations where neither of the compounds in isolation had an effect. CONCLUSION: Fluoride and delmopinol can work synergistically to affect acid adaptation and acid production in plaque biofilm bacteria.

Delmopinol is a tertiary amine surfactant that is used to counteract dental plaque formation. As it is of interest to understand the interfacial behavior from both fundamental and applied perspectives the adsorption of delmopinol to model surfaces was investigated. Adsorption on Teflon, titanium and stainless steel was studied by radioactive labeling and adsorption on silica was studied by quartz crystal microbalance (QCM), ellipsometry and particle electrophoresis. It was shown that the adsorption of delmopinol was complex and strongly influenced by pH and concentration. Pronounced peak values were detected in the adsorption curves (adsorbed amount versus concentration) exceeding the expected value for a bilayer type of structure. To account for this behavior two surface active component were assumed to be present. Accordingly, the high amounts result from the deposition of the component with lower solubility and the decrease at the critical micelle concentration can be explained by solubilization of this component. Based on data from several experimental methods and the pH dependence of the effect we propose an explanation in which the protonated and non-protonated forms of delmopinol represent the two components. However, it cannot be excluded that the component with the lower solubility could be a compound chemically different from delmopinol in the sample.