Antibacterial effect of self-etching adhesive systems on Streptococcus mutans

Area of Science:

• Dental materials science
• Microbiology

Background:

• Dental caries is a significant global health issue.
• Streptococcus mutans is a primary pathogen in dental caries.
• Self-etching adhesive systems are widely used in dental restorations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the in vitro antibacterial activity of various self-etching adhesive systems against Streptococcus mutans.
• To compare the antibacterial efficacy of 2-step and 1-step self-etching adhesive systems.

Main Methods:

• Agar diffusion method was employed to assess antibacterial activity.
• Tested systems included three 2-step (Clearfil SE Bond, Contax, Unifil Bond) and three 1-step (Easy Bond, U-Bond, All Bond SE) adhesives.
• Chlorhexidine and phosphoric acid gel served as positive controls.

Main Results:

• Positive controls (chlorhexidine and phosphoric acid) demonstrated strong antibacterial activity.
• Clearfil SE Bond (a 2-step system) exhibited antibacterial activity, outperforming other 2-step systems except Contax.
• All 1-step self-etching adhesive systems showed no inhibition zones after light activation.

Conclusions:

• Clearfil SE Bond may offer superior antibacterial properties compared to Contax and Unifil Bond among 2-step systems.
• 1-step self-etching adhesive systems do not possess significant antibacterial activity post-light curing.