ASPECTS OF METHYL METHACRYLATE ACRYLIC POLYMERS' INFLUENCE ON THE FUNCTIONAL ACTIVITY OF ORAL OPPORTUNISTIC MICROORGANISMS

Subject. In modern conditions of dental materials science development, the fabrication of removable dentures from acrylic base polymers remains relevant, but the problem of significant residual monomer release – methyl methacrylate (MMA) – during the technological stages of construction manufacturing has not yet been solved. Despite adherence to polymerization regimes, the concentration of residual MMA varies up to 5%. It is known that MMA can have systemic and local effects on the human body. Of particular interest is the study of MMA's impact on oral microbiota and the functional parameters of opportunistic pathogens. Objective: To evaluate the effect of methyl methacrylate acrylic polymer on the growth parameters of opportunistic microorganisms. Materials and Methods. The study used collection strains of Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 and Escherichia coli M-17, which were cultured in the presence of methyl methacrylate polymer (Belakril-M GO, Russia) at concentrations of 0.01, 0.1 and 1 µg/ml, as well as 2% and 5%. After incubation, biofilms were stained with crystal violet, and thickness was assessed by dye extraction according to O'Toole (2011). Statistical analysis was performed using the StatTech v. 4.8.7 program ("Stattech", Russia). Results and Discussion. MMA at the studied concentrations did not significantly affect the growth parameters of Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 and Escherichia coli M-17 strains. Correlation analysis revealed a moderate positive correlation (r = 0.34) between MMA concentration and growth parameters, but it was statistically insignificant (p > 0.05). Conclusions. When the technology for manufacturing removable dentures is followed, MMA migrating from the construction base does not have a significant impact on the growth parameters of major opportunistic bacteria.