Intensity and duration of in‐vitro antibacterial activity of different adhesives used in orthodontics

This work investigated the antibacterial activity of 14 bonding agents to predict their ability to inhibit white‐spot development during orthodontic treatment. Standardized, sterilized disks of each material were continuously rinsed (for up to 180 d) in a flow of sterile saline. At predetermined time points, the residual ability of each material to inhibit bacterial growth (determined by measuring the size of inhibition halos around disks placed onto appropriate culture media seeded with Streptococcus gordonii DSM6777, Streptococcus sanguinis DSM20567, Streptococcus mutans DSM20523, or Lactobacillus acidophilus DSM20079) and biofilm formation (determined by measuring the numbers of bacteria adherent to disks following incubation in appropriate broths) was tested in triplicate and compared with the baseline activities of freshly prepared materials. Overall antibacterial and anti‐biofilm activities, adjusted for exposure time and strain of bacteria, were assessed. The decrease of antibacterial activity was faster (30–60 d) and complete for fluoride‐enriched materials, but slower (90 d) and partial for antimicrobial‐containing materials (benzalkonium chloride, zinc oxide, chlorexidine, or MDPB). Materials enriched with benzalkonium chloride, chlorexidine, or MDPB showed the highest antibacterial activities. Anti‐biofilm assays yielded similar results. These data could be helpful for clinicians in the choice of the best performing bonding agent also in light of duration of the clinical application.