Evaluation of time-dependent ion-release and antibacterial activity of three adhesive resin cements

Abstract

Aim This in-vitro study aimed to evaluate time-dependent ion-release and antibacterial activity of three self-adhesive resin cements. Materials and methods Sixty cement discs of the three tested self-adhesive resin cements were fabricated according to the manufacturer’s instructions in a plastic transparent mold, their dimensions were 6 mm in diameter and 2 mm in height. They were divided into three main experimental groups according to the self-adhesive resin cement type: group A (Thera-Cem), group B (G-Cem), and group C (RelyX Unicem 2) (20 each). Then, each main group was further subdivided into subgroup 1 (n = 10) for antibacterial assessment against Streptococcus mutans and subgroup 2 (n = 10) for ion-release assessment of fluoride and calcium. Direct contact test was used to monitor the bacterial outgrowth. Fluoride and calcium ions release were measured by ion chromatography and atomic absorption spectrometer respectively. All results were analyzed by one-way analysis of variance then multiple comparison Tukey’s test. Results All the evaluated cements exhibited antibacterial effects against S. mutans; fluoride and calcium were released by all the three cements in varying concentrations after aging. Conclusion Based on the results of this in-vitro study and within its limitations, it can be concluded that self-adhesive resin cements seem to provide promising antibacterial and remineralizing effects as being bioactive materials.