Effects of water aging on the mechanical and anti-biofilm properties of glass-ionomer cement containing dimethylaminododecyl methacrylate

Abstract Objectives The aims of this study were to investigate the effects of water aging for up to 6 months on the mechanical and anti-biofilm properties of a novel antibacterial glass ionomer cement (GIC) containing dimethylaminododecyl methacrylate (DMADDM). Methods GIC specimens (n = 180) which contained DMADDM (0 wt.%, 1.1 wt.% or 2.2 wt.%) were prepared. The mechanical properties surface roughness, microhardness and the surface charge density of ammonium groups were measured before and after water aging for 3 and 6 months at 37 °C. Further six months aged specimens (n = 216) were worn by 6 volunteers in their oral cavities for 24 h and 72 h. Biofilm formation was analyzed and rated by fluorescence microscopy (FM) and by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Biofilm viability was analyzed by FM. Results Water aging did not show any adverse effects on the surface roughness and hardness of the material. The surface charge density of the GIC samples containing DMADDM decreased due to the aging procedure, however, was still higher than that of the GIC without DMADDM. In situ biofilm formation was significantly reduced after 24 h on DMADDM containing GIC (p  Significance Incorporating DMADDM into GIC affected the material properties in a tolerable manner even after 6 months of storage in water. The new GIC is a promising material to affect the biofilm formation on the surface of restorations.