Antibiotic Dental Composites
Goal: the goal of this study is to synthesize and evaluate the antimicrobial effectiveness of silver oxime compounds against Gram-negative bacteria, particularly E. coli, by using the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method to measure zones of inhibition.
Secondary cavities, also known as secondary caries or recurrent caries, represent a significant clinical challenge in the field of dental science and restorative dentistry and are a leading cause of the failure and replacement of these restorative materials. Streptococcus mutans have the most prominent role in caries (cavity) formation. The interface formed by dental restorations can develop marginal gaps over time, fostering bacterial colonization, acid production, and promoting localized degradation. Silver has previously been used to make water suitable for drinking, burn therapy, and treating urinary tract infections. The inhibitory effects of silver are believed to be from its reaction with microbial DNA, causing the inactivation. Cyanoximes act as ligands and bind to silver (I) cations. The complexes they form combine light and thermal stability, chemical inertness, water insolubility, and display antimicrobial properties. This study aimed to synthesize silver oximate antimicrobial compounds to be integrated into dental material and prevent the formation of secondary cavities. Six variations of silver oximates were synthesized and zone of inhibition data was collected for these compounds. For the synthesis of oximates, the presence of electron-withdrawing groups is essential to facilitate acidity in the central proton. Tertiary amides are weaker electron-withdrawing groups due to resonance and pKa and are not successful in oximate reactions. The cyanide group, an electron withdrawing group (EWG), is not essential for creating the silver oximate but produces higher yield than other EWGs. All silver oximate compounds were effective antimicrobials against E. coli and the EWGs of the compounds did not affect antimicrobial efficacy.