Surface antibacterial properties of resin and resin-modified dental cements

Objective: Cements possessing antibacterial properties may reduce bacteria-induced fixed partial denture complications. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the antibacterial properties of 4 dental cements using the direct contact test (DCT) and the agar diffusion test (ADT). Method and Materials: The ADT was performed using mitis salivarius agar plates. Each plate was evenly inoculated with freshly grown mutans streptococci. Two samples of each test material - RelyX ARC, Variolink II, GC FujiCEM, and Principle - were placed, and the inhibition halo obtained was measured after 48 hours. For the DCT, 8 samples were placed on the sidewalls of wells in a 96-well microtiter plate. After polymerization, freshly grown Streptococcus mutans cells (1 × 10⁶) were placed on the surface of each sample for 1 hour at 37°C. Fresh medium was then added to each well, and bacterial growth was followed for 16 hours in a temperature-controlled spectrophotometer. Similarly prepared samples were aged in phosphate-buffered saline for 1 or 7 days and the DCT was repeated. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey multiple comparisons were applied to the data. Results: In the ADT, GC FujiCEM showed an inhibition zone of 2.0 ± 0.3 mm, and Principle showed an inhibition zone of 1.2 ± 0.2 mm. In the DCT, freshly polymerized samples of GC FujiCEM and Principle exhibited potent antibacterial properties, while samples of Variolink II and RelyX ARC showed moderate antibacterial properties. Principle showed some antibacterial properties even after 1 day (P < .001). Conclusion: None of the tested cements in this study possesses long-term antibacterial properties.