A comparison of antimicrobial activity of etchants used for a total etch technique.

The purpose of this study was to determine the antimicrobial activity of eight commercially available etchant materials and positive and negative controls as they came into contact with bacteria commonly found within the oral cavity. The following bacteria were used in this study: Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus salivarius, and Actinobacillis actinomycetocomitants. The study was conducted in two parts: Part I--Etchants and controls placed within wells in agar plates; Part II--Enamel-dentin disks saturated with the etchants for 20 seconds and placed on the agar plates with the controls. Zones of microbial inhibition were measured in millimeters after 48 hours. The results of the study indicate that all of the etchants demonstrated antimicrobial activity against the bacteria tested.