Objective: In part 1 of this study, the authors showed that coating polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) provisional restorations with bonding resin (BR) or liquid polish (LP) significantly reduced early in vivo biofilm formation on these restorations. The aim of the present study was to determine the mechanism through which these materials inhibit biofilm formation.
Method and materials: The antimicrobial properties of the tested materials were examined using the agar diffusion test (ADT) and the direct contact test (DCT). Surface energy was determined using contact angle measurements; salivary protein adsorption was analyzed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE).
Results: ADT and DCT showed that the tested materials had no antimicrobial properties. Contact angle measurements revealed that liquid polish and PMMA have a similar contact angle, tending toward the hydrophobic region, and that bonding resin was more hydrophilic. SDS-PAGE analysis showed a significant reduction in salivary protein adsorption to the tested materials compared with that to the PMMA control.
Conclusion: Liquid polish prevents biofilm formation by preventing protein adsorption.