In-vitro antibacterialactivity of contemporarybioactive dentalrestorative materials

Aim: Secondary caries can lead to a failure of composite and glass ionomer cement (GIC) restorations. Bioactive dental restoratives have been introduced to address this problem. However, the evidence supporting the antibacterial efficacy of these materials remains limited. The objective of this study was to compare the antibacterial efficacy of contemporary bioactive and conventional restoratives against S. mutans. Methods: A conventional composite (Filtek Z350 - FT), a high viscosity GIC (Equia Forte - EQ) and three bioactive restoratives comprising a giomer (Beautifil II - BF), an alkasite (Cention N - CN), and a zirconia reinforced GIC (Zirconomer - ZC) were evaluated. Biofilm quantification was performed using crystal violet (CV) assays and colony forming units (CFU) counts to determine the biofilm biomass and S. mutans viability respectively. The surface roughness of the specimens was measured. Results: FT had the lowest biofilm biomass (OD570nm) and BF had the lowest S. mutans viability (LogCFU/ml). The highest surface roughness was observed for EQ while the lowest surface roughness was observed for FT. Surface roughness after exposure to bacteria suspension was significantly higher in ZC compared to FT and BF. Conclusion: GIC-based materials displayed significantly greater biofilm biomass, S. mutans viability, and surface roughness compared to resin-based ones. Surface roughness (immediately after fabrication) showed a strong correlation to S. mutans viability. Further studies are required to verify if surface roughness is the dominant factor affecting the antibacterial efficacy of dental restoratives.