This summary is based on the article published in Dental Materials: A systematic review about antibacterial monomers used in dental adhesive systems: Current status and further prospects (November 2015)
Alexandra Rubin Cocco; Wellington Luiz de Oliveira da Rosa; Adriana Fernandes da Silva; Rafael Guerra Lund, Evandro Piva
Context
- There is a trend to use the minimally invasive dentistry approach to promote preservation of the tooth structure with conservative techniques in an effort to avoid damage to the dental pulp complex [1].
- Incomplete removal of infected dentin is currently recommended, especially in clinical situations of deep carious lesions. However, viable bacteria that may be left in the dentin may lead to restorative treatment failure [2].
- Materials with antibacterial effect lasting for a longer time were developed: the antibacterial-agent-releasing and non-antibacterial-agent-releasing materials [13].
- However, substances presented in this material are only simply dispersed in the matrix phase, and it is impossible to control the kinetics of release. Also, the release of the agent may adversely influence the physical properties and result in toxic effects [15,16].
- Researchers have attempted to develop non-antibacterial agent-releasing materials involving the development of monomers with quaternary ammonium salts [3,17], which are able to copolymerize with other methacrylate monomers and could provide long-term antibacterial activity [1].
Purpose of the Review
To systematically review the literature to assess the effectiveness of antibacterial monomers incorporated into dental adhesive systems against major oral bacteria; as well as the research advances and the future prospects of this technology.
Key Messages
- It was possible to demonstrate that incorporation of antibacterial monomers into adhesives system could be beneficial to reduce biofilm accumulation.
- However, other factors must be taken into consideration to determine the clinical success of these adhesives, such as different oral hygiene habits of patients in order to control biofilms, presence of microgaps in the restoration and patient’s caries risk [47].
- There are potential areas to be explored with antibacterial monomers for dentistry, and their use could have important implications for future more conservative dental treatments.
- Although there is evidence of antibacterial activity from in vitro studies, clinical studies must be conducted to confirm the effectiveness of these materials in the prevention of dental pathologies.
References