Comparative evaluation of surface morphology and Streptococcus mutans adhesion on retrieved Zinc Oxide nanoparticle coated stainless steel archwire vs uncoated wires- A randomized clinical trial

The present study is a randomized split mouth clinical trial conducted on patients undergoing fixed orthodontic treatment. The purpose of the study is to compare the surface morphology and Streptococcus mutans adhesion on zinc oxide nanoparticle coated stainless steel archwires with uncoated stainless steel archwires after 4 to 6 weeks of intraoral use. The intervention group will receive 0.016 x 0.022 inch stainless steel archwires coated with zinc oxide nanoparticles while the control group will receive uncoated 0.016 x 0.022 inch stainless steel archwires. A total of 18 patients aged 12 to 30 years requiring orthodontic treatment with 0.022 MBT prescription brackets and with good oral and periodontal health will be included in the study. Patients with systemic disorders, poor oral hygiene, known metal allergies, history of antibiotic or anti inflammatory drug use in the past three months, or habits such as tobacco chewing, alcohol consumption will be excluded. The primary outcome of the study is the evaluation of Streptococcus mutans adhesion by colony count method. The secondary outcome is the assessment of surface morphology of retrieved wires using atomic force microscopy. Statistical analysis will be performed using SPSS version 21 with appropriate parametric or non parametric tests. A confidence interval of 95 percent, a significance level of 5 percent and a study power of 90 percent will be applied.