Antibacterial activity of dentinal bonding agents

Area of Science:

• Dental Materials Science
• Microbiology
• Biomaterials

Background:

• Dental bonding agents are crucial in restorative dentistry.
• Understanding their potential antibacterial properties is important for preventing secondary caries.
• Some bonding agents may possess inherent antimicrobial activity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the in vitro antibacterial susceptibility of five bacterial species to seven dentinal bonding agents.
• To compare the antimicrobial efficacy of different components (conditioner, primer, resin) of bonding agents.
• To assess the influence of light curing on the antibacterial activity of bonding agents.

Main Methods:

• Agar diffusion tests were performed on bacterial strains using filter paper disks impregnated with bonding agent components.
• Two types of agar media were used: blood agar and mitis salivarius bacitracin agar.
• Chlorhexidine (0.2%) served as a positive control for antibacterial effect.

Main Results:

• Gluma cleanser and Gluma etchant exhibited the strongest inhibition zones against all tested bacterial species.
• Prisma Universal Bond 2 and Superlux Universal Bond 2 systems showed no antibacterial effect.
• Primers from Gluma, Denthesive, and Scotchbond 2 displayed significant antibacterial activity, sometimes comparable to chlorhexidine.
• Resins from Scotchbond 2 and Tripton inhibited specific bacteria (Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus sanguis, Actinomyces viscosus) before curing.
• XR-Bond retained antibacterial activity against S. sanguis and A. viscosus after light curing.

Conclusions:

• Certain dentinal bonding agents, particularly Gluma cleanser and etchant, possess significant in vitro antibacterial properties.
• The antibacterial efficacy varies among different bonding agent components and systems.
• The influence of light curing on the antibacterial activity of bonding agents needs further consideration.