# Partial in-vitro dispersal of S. mutans UA159 biofilms by silver-(I)cyanoximate compounds

## TL;DR

This study tests silver compounds for their ability to disperse biofilms of a bacteria linked to tooth decay, finding they work better at preventing biofilm formation than dispersing existing ones.

## Contribution

The study evaluates six silver(I) cyanoximate compounds for biofilm dispersal in Streptococcus mutans, revealing their partial effectiveness compared to silver nitrate.

## Key findings

- Silver(I) cyanoximate compounds partially disperse S. mutans biofilms but are less effective than silver nitrate.
- The compounds are more effective at inhibiting biofilm formation than dispersing pre-formed biofilms.
- None of the six compounds outperformed silver nitrate in antibacterial activity.

## Abstract

Silver(I) cyanoximate compounds have antibacterial activity against the oral pathogen
Streptococcus mutans,
a resident of oral plaque biofilm. As oral biofilm strategies focus on the inhibition of attachment or physical removal of the existing microbes, we were interested in exploring the ability of six different silver(I) cyanoximate compounds to target and disperse a pre-existing biofilm. Here we report that these compounds were only able to partially disperse
S. mutans
biofilms as the compounds were more effective at inhibiting biofilm formation. None of the six compounds were able to outperform silver nitrate, a commonly used antibacterial in dentistry.