ANTIBACTERIAL EFFECTIVENESS OF DENTIN BONDING SYSTEMS

This study examined the antibacterial activities of several commercial ly available glass ionomer cements, dentin bonding systems and luting agents by employing both agar plate diffusion (APD) and growth inhibit ion (GI) methods. Amalgam and resin composites were also tested as con trol materials. In both methods (APD and GI), cylindrical specimens we re used. Four bacteria strains were tested: Streptococcus mutans, S. s alivarius, S. mitis and S. sanguis. These studies were performed using standardized innoculums with selective media, and the assayed materia ls were directly applied on the assay cultures and plates. The results of agar plate assay were in accordance with the results of growth inh ibition method. The glass ionomer cements showed marked antibacterial activity. On the contrary, amalgam, composites, luting agents and dent inal bonding systems did not affect bacterial growth. The sensitivity of the growth method showed that all the strains were inhibited in the same way by each inhibitory material. The data suggest that the use o f glass ionomer cements as cavity liners/bases may reduce the conseque nces of microleakage due to its antibacterial properties.