An Evaluation of Bacterial Inhibition on E-max and Zirconia Disks after Different Surface Treatments: A Comparative In vitro Study

Comprehending how bacteria adhere to different materials is essential for ensuring the long-term success of dental restorations. Various types of ceramic dental materials with distinct chemical and mechanical properties have been developed for this purpose. Therefore, this in vitro study aimed to investigate bacterial inhibition on E-max and zirconia disks after different surface treatments.

Forty discs of zirconia and 40 discs of lithium disilicate-pressed E-max were prepared with standardized dimensions. Each main group was divided into two subgroups (20 for each). One subgroup was subjected to polishing and glazing, while the second one was not. After thermocycling, discs in each subgroup were placed on the bacteria culture plates containing either Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) or Escherichia coli (E. coli).

The zirconia polishing group achieved the greatest bacterial inhibition, followed by the polished E-max group. The glazed zirconia and glazed E-max groups had lower values and highly significant differences were found.

Bacteria were more inhibited in the polished groups than in the glazed groups of both zirconia and E-max.