Antibacterial activity of selected glass ionomer cements.
BACKGROUND
The aim of the paper was to determine the antibacterial activity of four glass ionomer cements against bacteria of the genera Streptococcus and Lactobacillus.


METHODS
Four capsulated glass ionomer cements were applied in the study: Fuji Triage (GC), Fuji IX (GC), Ketac Molar (3M Espe) and Ketac Silver (3M Espe). Four standard bacterial strains were used to assess the antibacterial activity of the studied cements: Streptococcus mutans, S. sanguis, S. salivarius and Lactobacillus casei. The antibacterial activity was determined by the agar diffusion method. The bacterial suspension was spread with a cotton swab on TSA plates. For each material six wells (7 mm diameter, 5 mm deep) were made with a cork borer. Each well was then filled with freshly prepared cements. The results were obtained by measuring the bacterial growth inhibition zone after 1, 2, 3 and 7 days.


RESULTS
Fuji Triage cement inhibited the growth of all bacterial strains. Fuji IX cement demonstrated the most potent antibacterial activity against S. sanguis. Ketac Molar showed antibacterial activity against S. sanguis and S. salivarius, whereas Ketac Silver was efficient against S. mutans as well. Neither of the Ketac cements inhibited growth of the standard L. casei strain.


CONCLUSIONS
Antibacterial activity of glass ionomer cements has attracted the interest of scientists in recent years. Most authors, including us, carried out experiments using the agar diffusion method and demonstrated antibacterial activity of glass ionomer cements. Different antibacterial activity of glass ionomer cements, observed in our study and studies of other authors, depended on the evaluated cement, bacterial strain and period of evaluation.
Department of Pedodontics, Medical University of Bialystok, Poland.
Elżbieta
E
Luczaj-Cepowicz
Department of Pedodontics, Medical University of Bialystok, Poland.
Grażyna
G
Marczuk-Kolada
Department of Pedodontics, Medical University of Bialystok, Poland.
Anna
A
Zalewska
Department of Conservative Dentistry, Medical University of Bialystok, Poland.
Małgorzata
M
Pawińska
Department of Microbiological Diagnostics, Medical University of Bialystok, Poland.
Katarzyna
K
Leszczyńska
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005899:Glass Ionomer Cements / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D007778:Lactobacillus / Q000187:drug effects*; D013291:Streptococcus / Q000187:drug effects*
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D005899:Glass Ionomer Cements; C110713:fuji IX