Chitosan incorporated in a total-etch adhesive system: antimicrobial activity against Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus casei.

The aim of this study was to investigate the antimicrobial effect of an experimental adhesive system containing chitosan (0.2% and 0.5%) against Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus casei. Twenty-four extracted human third molars were used, and 4 cavities were prepared in each tooth. The teeth were contaminated with either S mutans (n = 12 teeth, 48 cavities) or L casei (n = 12 teeth, 48 cavities) microorganisms. One cavity in each tooth received 1 of the following treatments: negative control (no treatment [NC]), positive control (Adper Single Bond 2 [SB]), an experimental adhesive containing chitosan 0.2% (CHI2), or an experimental adhesive containing chitosan 0.5% (CHI5). After sealing of the cavities and an incubation period, dentin scrapings were collected from each cavity for microbiological evaluation. Analysis of variance and Tukey tests revealed no statistically significant differences among the SB, CHI2, and CHI5 groups (P > 0.05), but all 3 differed significantly from the NC group (P ≤ 0.05). The concentrations of chitosan did not influence the antimicrobial effect against S mutans and L casei, presenting a similar effect to that of a conventional 2-step adhesive system.