Antibacterial potential of contemporary dental luting cements

The aims of this investigation were to evaluate the antibacterial activities of different types of dental luting cements and to compare antibacterial action during and after setting. Agar diffusion testing was used to evaluate the antibacterial properties of seven types of dental luting cements (glass ionomer cements (GICs), resin modified GICs, resin composite, zinc oxide eugenol, zinc oxide non-eugenol, zinc phosphate, zinc polycarboxylate cements) on Streptococcus mutans bacteria. Instantly mixed zinc phosphate cements showed the strongest antibacterial activity in contrast to the non-eugenol, eugenol and resin cements that did not show any antibacterial effects. Non-hardened glass ionomer, resin modified and zinc polycarboxylate cements exhibited moderate antibacterial action. Hardened cements showed weaker antibacterial activities, than those ones applied right after mixing.