In vivo effects
To test the in vivo antibacterial effects of GIC containing 1% CHX diacetate, a pilot clinical study was carried out, recruiting 6- to 11-year-old children with occlusal lesions in a molar45). The cavity walls and one half of the floor were cleaned and restored with Fuji IX or the experimental GIC containing 1% CHX diacetate. Dentine samples were taken from the cleaned (affected dentin) and non-cleaned area (infected dentin) at baseline and 7 days after restoration, and cultivated anaerobically and
aerobically to count the number of mutans streptococci, lactobacilli and the total viable bacteria. Although a significant decrease in anaerobic and aerobic bacterial counts was observed for both materials seven days post treatment, fewer bacteria
survived in the CHX-containing GIC group compared with the control GIC group (Table 5), indicating the effectiveness of incorporation of CHX. For affected
dentin, CHX-containing GIC reduced the total
bacteria to approximately 10 CFU in the mean value over the 7 day period, and the number of mutans streptococci and lactobacilli were both reduced to less than 10 CFU. Even for infected dentin, total bacterial number was reduced to less than 100 CFU by
placement of the CHX-containing GIC, showing greater reduction in surviving bacteria than the control GIC. This pilot clinical study revealed the
benefits of a CHX-containing GIC to effectively deal with residual infection for ART. Further follow-up study is ongoing to confirm the significance of the
experimental GIC to contribute to a better prognosis.