Antibacterial behavior of calcium fluoride-modified tricalcium silicate cement against different oral bacterial strains

Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of adding CaF 2 to Biodentine on its antibacterial behavior against Streptococcus mutans , Lactobacillus acidophilus , and Enterococcus faecalis strains and the fluoride release. Materials and methods: The study included three main groups: unmodified Biodentine, 5% wt CaF 2 -modified Biodentine , and 10% wt CaF 2 -modified Biodentine . The antibacterial activity of the tested cement was evaluated against the three bacterial strains through direct contact and agar diffusion tests. Fluoride release in deionized water at different intervals (1 day, one week, and one month) was assessed using ICP-MS. Results: The direct contact test revealed that the different experimental biodentine groups had lower optical density than the bacteria groups after one day, which was confirmed at seven days. The 10% group showed a significantly higher antibacterial effect against S. mutans and L. acidophilus than the other biodentine groups. The agar diffusion test showed significant differences between groups regarding Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus acidophilus . The positive control group had significantly higher inhibition zone values than the 5% CaF 2 -modified and unmodified Biodentine groups. The 10% CaF 2 -modified group showed no statistically significant difference compared to the positive control. For Enterococcus faecalis , the positive control exhibited a significantly higher value than other groups. None of the experimental groups showed inhibition zones against Enterococcus faecalis . Conclusions: Adding 10% CaF 2 to Biodentine could improve its antibacterial effect against S. mutans and L. acidophilus. However, its effectiveness against Enterococcus faecalis is questionable. The addition of 10% CaF2 also offers fluoride-releasing qualities to Biodentine.