Reactions: Antibacterial and bioactive dental restorative materials: Do they really work?

Purpose: The study and development of antibacterial materials for use in dental applications is growing with the development of novel materials and procedures. Examination of the effects of such antibacterial materials on oral pathogens as well as on stability and longevity of dental restorations is of paramount importance to the field.

Results: This review addressed the range of topics covered by the manuscripts presented at the Seoul symposium on antibacterial dental materials.

Clinical Significance: Based on the presented works, it seems that the emerging antibacterial and bioactive mate-rials can potentially benefit restorative dentistry; however, like many other subjects in clinical dentistry, good quality evidence on their effectiveness under clinical situations is yet to be accumulated.