Exploring the Variability in Antibacterial Testing of Resin Dental Composites among Investigators: A Narrative Review

Abstract

Caries is a common dental problem brought on by factors like excessive sugar consumption, poor oral hygiene, and the presence of microorganisms in the mouth. This dental pathology is treated with a variety of filling materials, including tooth-colored direct resin dental composite (RDC), glass ionomer cement (GIC), and dental amalgam (also known as silver filling). RDC is the most preferred filling material in dental clinics due to its excellent esthetics and minimal tooth preparation, making it the need of the modern era. However, antimicrobial agents were added to this material in order to enhance its ability to prevent secondary caries. The antibacterial activity of RDC has been tested using a variety of methods, but testing protocols have been found to vary. Thusly, the point of this article is to examine the disparity in the strategy involved by specialists for testing the antibacterial properties of RDCs.

Keywords

• resin dental composites
• antibacterial testing
• agar diffusion
• colony-forming unit
• incubation time
• sterilization