Antimicrobial Activity of Glass lonomer Cement Incorporated with Chlorhexidine-Loaded Zeolite Nanoparticles

A functional dental restorative system with antimicrobial properties was developed using zeolite (ZE) nanoparticles (NPs) as a drug delivery carrier. ZE NPs loaded with chlorhexidine (CHX) were prepared using the ionic immobilization method. The resulting CHX-loaded ZE NPs were then incorporated into commercial dental glass ionomer cement (GIC). The average size of the CHX-loaded ZE NPs was about 100 to 200 nm, and the NPs were dispersed homogeneously in the GIC. The in vitro release profile of encapsulated GIC containing CHX showed an early release burst of approximately 30% of the total CHX by day 7, whereas GIC containing CHX-loaded ZE NPs showed a sustained release of CHX without the early release burst in a 4-week immersion study. The agar diffusion test results showed that the GIC incorporated with CHX-loaded ZE NPs showed a larger growth inhibition zone of Streptococcus mutans than GIC alone, indicating that this innovative delivery platform potently imparted antimicrobial activity to the GIC. Moreover, these findings suggest that a range of antimicrobial drugs that inhibit the growth of oral bacteria can be incorporated efficiently into dental GIC using CHX-loaded ZE NPs.