Physical, chemical and antimicrobial evaluation of a composite material containing quaternary ammonium salt for braces cementation

- Synthesis of ORMOSIL-based material with antibiofilm activity is performed.
- Antibiofilm activity of the ORMOSIL-based material on commercial available resin for braces cementation is evaluated.
- Antibiofilm ORMOSIL-based coating with potential application as varnish or sealant in orthodontic appliances is presented.

The antibiofilm effect of iodide quaternary ammonium methacryloxy silicate (IQAMS) in Transbond XT Light Cure Adhesive resin used for braces cementation was evaluated. Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy confirmed IQAMS formation and Scanning Electron Microscopy coupled to Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) revealed that as coating, the quaternary ammonium groups from IQAMS were homogeneously dispersed throughout the surface. When incorporated, the composite material presented homogeneous dispersion throughout the resin. Assays with Streptococcus mutans demonstrated enhanced antibiofilm effect for the IQAMS coated resin, with much lower colony-forming units (CFU), in comparison to incorporated IQAMS. Such a difference was assigned to low availability of quaternary ammonium groups at the surface of resin when IQAMS was incorporated, hindering its antibiofilm effect. Additionally, the incorporation of IQAMS led to slight decrease in ultimate bond strength (UBS) and shear bond strength (SBS), in comparison to the neat commercial resin. Thus, the synthesized IQAMS displays great potential as antibiofilm coating or sealant to prevent oral infections in brackets during orthodontic treatment.