6. Discussion
The aim of this systematic review was to report the current combinations of the DMAHDM composite and to assess the synergistic effects on the prevention of secondary caries. The findings from the studies included indicate that incorporating additional biomaterials with DMAHDM produces a positive synergistic effect on the prevention of secondary caries through antibacterial and remineralizing capabilities.
Regardless of the type of biomaterial combination added to the composite, all studies considered in this review reported a strong antibacterial efficacy of DMAHDM alone, with one study observing increased potency as the mass fraction increased
[36]. It is suggested that the mechanism of action of QAMs is through contact inhibition leading to cell death
[40][41]. However, it is essential that salivary protein adsorption occurs on the composite surface for bacterial adhesion to follow, and this pellicle separating the resin surface from the biofilm could decrease QAM’s antibacterial efficacy
[3][23][40].
MPC is a biocompatible polymer that was shown to have a synergistic mechanism of action when incorporated with DMAHDM compared to either agent alone
[35][37][40][41][42][43]. Due to its hydrophilic surface, MPC can inhibit bacterial adhesion and decrease protein adsorption
[35][40][46], thus, forming direct contact of the resin surface with the overlaying biofilms and enhancing the contact-killing mechanism of DMAHDM
[35][40].
The literature reported DMAHDM + MPC having less biofilms with mostly compromised cell membranes, decreased CFU counts, the least metabolic activity, stronger killing efficacy, least lactic acid production, decreased protein adsorption and maintained a pH above 6.5
[41]. However, Zhang et al. (2017) observed live bacteria on the MPC + DMAHDM composite despite a reduction in lactic acid production from biofilm and total microorganism CFU counts
[42]. This further emphasizes the need for more research into the long-term effectiveness of these novel composites on the prevention of secondary caries in orally healthy individuals.
Several articles also reported on the efficacy of novel composites against root caries pathogens
[23][35][39][40][43][44]. Composites containing DMAHDM and MPC produced significantly lower levels of lactic acid from
S. mutans and polymicrobial biofilms
[1][2][20][34][44]. Lactic acid is a known byproduct of caries-causing bacteria, and coupled with their aciduric properties, allows them to survive in low pH conditions
[44]. By reducing the amount of lactic acid, root dentine demineralization at the restoration margins may be reduced
[44], which can improve the longevity of these restorations.
Combining MPC with DMAHDM was effective in inhibiting extracellular matrix synthesis of root caries pathogens by having substantially reduced polysaccharide production
[44]. Polysaccharides are a key component of the extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) that surrounds biofilms and protects pathogens from antibacterial agents. Reducing polysaccharide production reduces this protection and the virulence of these pathogens, potentially reducing caries and inhibiting local periodontitis
[47].
AgNPs have been associated with many dental applications such as acrylic resins for dentures
[48], endodontic irrigants and intracanal medications
[49][50] and other restorative materials
[15][51]. The antibacterial properties of AgNPs is hypothesized to be due to the release of silver ions to the bacterial environment where the nanoparticle promotes infiltration into the bacterial cell membranes and affects intracellular processes
[38]. Furthermore, the incorporation of AgNPs at 0.12% concentration with MPC and DMAHDM composite was shown to have even greater synergistic mechanisms of action, with further reductions of CFU counts, metabolic activity, protein adsorption and polysaccharide production
[35]. AgNPs are particularly effective in inhibiting
S. mutans and
F. nucleatum, and are also capable of long-distance bacterial killing
[35]. Incorporating small particles sizes of AgNPs increases the surface area, thus achieving a strong antimicrobial function with a relatively low filler level of AgNPs without compromising the mechanical properties or aesthetics of the resin
[35][38].
Despite the interdisciplinary role AgNP has in modern medicine, recent reviews have discussed the possible environmental and economic impacts of AgNPs that are synthesized either naturally (green synthesis) or chemically
[52][53][54][55]. Moreover, development of AgNPs using the biological method of synthesis with the use of bacteria, fungi and plant extracts
[52][53] have shown to be ecofriendlier, cost effective and energy efficient
[56], with reports of greater antimicrobial activity against pathogenic bacteria
[52]. All three studies that experimented with AgNPs in this review synthesized the nanoparticles through chemical reduction. As such, further research is required to examine the effects of incorporating biosynthesized AgNPs on the efficacy of DMAHDM nanocomposite.
While NACP did not exhibit any antibacterial effect and showed comparable results to commercial control composites, NACP was effective on remineralization of tooth structure and pH neutralization
[1][2][3][20][34][35][36][39][41][44]. The addition of NACP enables the release of Ca and P ions to increase the pH during cariogenic challenges, thereby, preventing demineralization and facilitating remineralization
[35] and thus, reducing the potential for secondary caries development. Recent studies found no significant difference between the NACP and DMAHDM + NACP composites, meaning that DMAHDM did not impact the release of ions and can therefore be incorporated at no disadvantage
[1][2][35]. Furthermore, the addition of NACP in the composite resin allows for repeated recharges, facilitates ion rerelease and remineralization over a longer period of time
[1]. DMAHDM maintained potent antibiofilm properties after 12 cycles of recharge and did not affect ion re-release concentrations
[1][2]. The findings from Bhadila et al. (2020) indicate that the concentration of Ca and P ion releases from NACP and DMAHDM combinations surpassed the required levels for tooth remineralization
[57]. These results are very promising for improving the longevity and prognosis of current restorative materials.
Xiao et al. (2017) reported synergistic remineralizing effects such as greater acid neutralization, dentine hardness and mineral growth when combining NACP and third generation PAMAM. PAMAM exhibits the ability to remineralize tooth lesions through its role as an excellent nucleation template whereby Ca and P ions are rapidly absorbed leading to remineralization
[23][58][59]. PAMAM has also shown lasting dentine mineral regeneration when incorporated with recharged NACP after prolonged fluid exposure
[60], which indicates successful long-term therapeutic effects in reducing demineralization and aiding in the reduction of secondary caries.
Xiao et al. (2017) suggested that the incorporation of MPC, AgNPs, MPC and PAMAM with DMAHDM yielded the maximum antibacterial and remineralization capacity. The addition of MPC and AgNPs with DMAHDM produced significant synergistic antibacterial effects, while NACP and PAMAM provided continuous ion release and combined remineralization mechanisms of action
[23]. Therefore, this novel bioactive composite combination shows promising results that may adjunctively reduce the rate of secondary caries and increase the longevity of these restorations.
The findings of this systematic review suggest that incorporation of antibacterial and remineralizing biomaterials have the potential to aid in the prevention of secondary caries. However, caries is a complex multifactorial disease and other factors must be considered when determining the clinical success of composite resins. These include but are not limited to, quality of the restoration such as the presence of microgaps and patient caries risk including oral hygiene habits, salivary flow and composition, consumption of dietary sugars and exposure to fluoride
[61].
The limitations of this review include medium risk of bias and in vitro conditions in all studies. Additionally, there were wide variations of comparison groups between the studies. This study only focused on antibacterial and remineralization properties and did not consider mechanical qualities during water-aging. The bacterial incubation period for samples tested for antibacterial efficacy were heterogeneous across the studies, ranging from two days in some studies to 185 days in one study. The differences in incubation protocols may have depended on the manufacturer’s instructions, pH of biofilm culture medium and that different types of bacteria required different incubation times. Therefore, it is important to note that these variations were adjusted accordingly to target specific bacterial species for different studies.