RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: This study sought to assess the inhibitory effect of chitosan-containing sealants against Streptococcus mutans. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The antibacterial activity of the resin sealant was evaluated by direct contact test following the addition of 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 wt% chitosan. At 3, 6, 9, 24 and 48 h, 1 and 3 months, 10 µl of the microbial suspension in contact with resin sealant was cultured to count the number of colonies. Data were analyzed by one-way one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), repeated measures ANOVA, and Scheffe test. RESULTS: The minimum inhibitory concentration of chitosan against S. mutans was 2 wt%. At 3 h, bacterial count in the presence of 2-5 wt% chitosan was significantly lower than that at 0 and 1 wt% (P < 0.05). However, this difference in bacterial count between 2 and 3 wt% chitosan and between 4 and 5 wt% chitosan was not significant. At 6 h, the difference in bacterial count between 3 and 4 wt% chitosan was not significant, whereas the remaining groups were significantly different in terms of bacterial count at this time (P < 0.05). At the remaining time points, significant differences were found between 2 wt% chitosan and higher concentrations (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Sealants containing 2-5 wt% chitosan show an antimicrobial property that is intensified by increasing the concentration of chitosan.
