16 March 2022

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New composite cement with anti-microbial properties

Co-authors: A. Comba, F. Florenzano

Lorenzo Breschi

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Despite the increasing attention deserved to oral health, a conspicuous number of tooth lost is still counted among elderly people, mainly due to secondary caries or periodontal problems. Restorations of caries-treated teeth are mainly dependent on the type of restorative material in order to achieve optimal bonding and mechanical properties. Indeed, an ideal restorative material has sufficient mechanical properties and bonding performance to resist functional forces and degradation in the oral environment. Additionally, prevention of biofilm growth at tooth-restoration interfaces is important to prevent secondary caries and maintain the restoration’s function in the long-term period. Resin composite cements are extensively used in restorative dentistry due to their excellent mechanical properties and tooth- bonding potential. However, their effectiveness could decrease over time due dissolution or deterioration phenomena, being greatly exposed to secondary caries. It has not yet been possible to dispose of composite cements with anti-microbial activity.

Therefore, Yamamoto et al. aimed at evaluating the mechanical properties, bonding performance and anti-microbial activity of a novel composite cement containing cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) modified montmorillonite (‘CPC-Mont’).

Materials and Methods
The authors selected CPC-Mont particles with a median diameter of 30 and 7 μm which were added to a composite cement at a concentration of 2, 3, 4, 5 and 7.5 wt%. Mechanical properties and bonding performance of the experimental composite cements were evaluated with 3-point bending and micro-tensile bond-strength testing. The amount of CPC released from the cement disks was quantified using a UV–vis recording spectrophotometer. The anti-biofilm activity was studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM).

Results
Adding 30-μm CPC-Mont decreased the mechanical properties and bonding performance of the composite cement, while no reduction was observed for the 7-μm CPC- Mont loaded cement formulation. Although CPC release substantially decreased during the 7-day period assessed, 5- and 7.5-wt% CPC-Mont loaded composite cement inhibited biofilm formation for 30 days.

Conclusion
Loading composite cement with 5- to 7.5-wt% of CPC- Mount of 7 μm increase the antimicrobial potential of the material, possibly limiting marginal infiltration and secondary caries.

For more information:  Novel composite cement containing the anti-microbial compound CPC-Montmorillonite.