Abstract

The accumulation of dental plaque plays a crucial role in the proliferation and dissemination of orodental pathogens exhibiting multidrug resistance. Within the biofilm, small DNA molecules known as plasmids play a pivotal role in transferring resistance genes among bacteria, thereby promoting the widespread transmission of antimicrobial resistance. The study, conducted at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), involved 105 patients from paediatric and periodontal departments. Plaque samples were evaluated for antimicrobial susceptibility using standard disc diffusion method before and after plasmid curing. Plasmid curing was carried out using acridine orange. The bacterial isolates displayed multidrug resistance, and after plasmid curing treatment, a significant increase in zones of inhibition (p-value < 0.05) against antimicrobials was noted specifically for anaerobically cultured Clostridium and Prevotella. The presence of plasmid-mediated multidrug resistance genes in plaque emphasizes the importance of antibiograms and judicious antibiotic utilization in the management of orodental diseases to address the challenge posed by the development of multidrug-resistant orodental pathogens.