Antibacterial Activity of Dental Restorative Materials

Abstract

Twenty-one commercial dental restorative materials, aged under various conditions, were checked on two different culture mediums for their antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Lactobacillus plantarum, a cariogenic streptococcus, and mixed bacteria from the mouth. The duration of bacteriostatic activity was decreased rapidly by leaching in water. Of the three acrylics checked for ability to prevent in vitro carieslike lesions, the acrylic with highest antibacterial activity had the least caries.