[Antimicrobial activity of orthodontic band cements]

The prevalence of enamel decalcification and caries beneath orthodontic bands, has indicated the need for a new enamel binding adhesive orthodontic cement. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial activity, in vitro, on Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus, acidophillus, of three materials used to cements the orthodontic bands. The cements studied were: Zinc phosphate cement, Glass-ionomer cement, and Policarboxylate cement. Thirty petri plates were seeded with S. mutans, and thirty with L. acidophillus; on each plate three pellet were placed, one of each cement studied. Petri plates were incubated under microaerophilic conditions at 37 C, and checked at 72 hrs. for Streptococcus, mutans, and four days for Lactobacillus acidophillus to evaluate the inhibition zone. The results were tabulated for each material. It was demonstrated that exists important variations in the antimicrobial properties of the materials studied, as in the microbial sensitivity to these cements.