Antibacterial efficacy and compressive strength of modified glass ionomer cements

Incorporation of antibacterial agents into restorative materials often compromises the physical properties of glass ionomer cement (GIC). Therefore, it is of interest to evaluate the antibacterial efficacy and compressive strength of FUJI IX GIC modified with 2% chlorhexidine, 1% cetrimide, 2.5% triclosan, or 1.5% antibiotics (metronidazole, minocycline and ciprofloxacin), added to the powder at a powder-liquid ratio of 3.6/1. Compressive strength was assessed using 50 cylindrical specimens (4 mm diameter, 6 mm height, 10 per group) tested on a Universal Testing Machine, while antibacterial efficacy was evaluated via agar diffusion on 50 disc-shaped specimens (10 mm diameter, 2 mm thickness, 10 per group) measuring inhibition zones on BHI agar. Statistical analysis involved ANOVA followed by Dunnett's t-test, with p < 0.05 considered significant; all modified GICs exhibited antibacterial activity but showed significantly reduced compressive strength compared to the control. The antibiotic-modified GIC demonstrated superior antibacterial efficacy and compressive strength among the experimental groups, though the control group had the highest overall compressive strength.