Antibacterial dental restorative materials: a state-of-the-art review

This review presents an updated knowledge on the antibacterial dental restorative materials and their performance clinically and in the laboratory. A search of English peer-reviewed dental literature over the last 30 years from PubMed and MEDLINE databases was conducted, and the key words included antibacterial, antimicrobial, dental, primer, adhesive, bonding agent, cement, and composite. Titles and abstracts of the articles listed from search results were reviewed and evaluated for relevancy. In summary, the incorporation of an appropriate amount of antibacterial agent provided dental restorative materials (dental bonding agents, resin composites, resin cements, glass-ionomer cements) antibacterial activity without significantly influencing mechanical properties.