Antimicrobial properties of self-etching primer-bonding systems

Area of Science:

• Dental Materials Science
• Microbiology
• Biomaterials

Background:

• Self-etching primers are advanced dentin bonding systems that integrate the smear layer into their mechanism.
• Evaluating the antibacterial properties of these primers is crucial for understanding their clinical efficacy and safety.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the in vitro antibacterial effects of several self-etching primers against a panel of oral bacteria.
• To compare the antibacterial activity of self-etching primers with a total-etch adhesive and a positive control.

Main Methods:

• The disk diffusion method was employed to evaluate the antibacterial activity of five self-etching primers (Clearfil SE Bond, Mac Bond, Imperva FL Bond, One-Up BondF, Prompt L-Pop) and one total-etch adhesive (Excite).
• A panel of thirteen oral bacterial strains, including Streptococcus mutans, Peptostreptococcus spp., Lactobacillus spp., Actinomyces odontolyticus, Porphyromonas endodontalis, Clostridium ramosum, Prevotella spp., and Fusobacterium nucleatum, were used.
• Chlorhexidine (0.2%) served as the positive control.

Main Results:

• One-Up BondF, Prompt L-Pop, and the Excite adhesive demonstrated growth inhibition against all tested bacterial strains.
• Clearfil SE Bond, Mac Bond, and Imperva FL Bond bonding agents did not inhibit Lactobacillus jensenii and Actinomyces odontolyticus.
• The primers of Clearfil SE Bond, Mac Bond, and Imperva FL Bond exhibited inhibition zones against all tested microorganisms that exceeded those of chlorhexidine.

Conclusions:

• Some self-etching primers possess significant antibacterial properties against a wide range of oral bacteria.
• The antibacterial efficacy varies among different self-etching primer systems and their components (primer vs. bonding agent).
• Further research is needed to correlate in vitro findings with clinical outcomes in preventing bacterial challenges in dentin bonding.