A COMPARISON OF ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF ETCHANTS USED FOR A TOTAL ETCH TECHNIQUE

The purpose of this study was to determine the antimicrobial activity of eight commercially available etchant materials and positive and neg ative controls as they came into contact with bacteria commonly found within the oral cavity. The following bacteria were used in this study : Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus salivarius, and Actinobacillis a ctinomycetocomitans. The study was conducted in two parts: Part I-Etch ants and controls placed within wells in agar plates; Part II-Enamel-d entin disks saturated with the etchants for 20 seconds and placed on t he agar plates with the controls. Zones of microbial inhibition were m easured in millimeters after 48 hours. The results of the study indica te that all of the etchants demonstrated antimicrobial activity agains t the bacteria tested.