Antibacterial Properties of Dental Impression Materials

Objectives: Dental impression materials possessing antibacterial properties may reduce the risk of cross contamination. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the antibacterial properties of 4 impression materials. Methods: The direct contact test (DCT) was used to evaluate the antibacterial properties of 4 impression materials: Orthoprint, Impregum Penta, Aquasil Ultra monophase, Permlastic. The materials were tested in contact with: Streptococcus fecalis, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Candida albicans. For the DCT - 8 samples of each material were placed on the sidewalls of the wells in a 96 microtiter plate. Bacterial cells (1X10⁶) were placed on the surface of each sample for 1h at 37⁰C. Medium was then added to each well and bacterial growth was followed for 16h in a temperature-controlled spectrophotometer. The materials were examined immediately after setting, 1,2,3, and 7 days after aging. Two way ANOVA, one way ANOVA, and Tukey multiple comparison procedures were applied on the results. Results: Impregum Penta exhibited antibacterial properties when in contact with all the tested microorganisms for at least 7 days, Aquasil Ultra monophase exhibited some antibacterial properties. Orthoprint and Permlastic showed no significant antibacterial properties. Conclusions: Our study suggests that Impregum Penta possesses potent and lasting antibacterial properties against microorganisms that are common in the oral flora.