Cavity disinfectants in restorative dentistry-journey to date

Recently, focus has been shifted to conservative intervention of dental caries under the concept of “minimally invasive dentistry.” However it carries the risk of leaving behind cariogenic bacteria, which can cause secondary caries-one of the main causes for failure of restoration. In this regard use of cavity disinfectants to achieve near total elimination of bacteria before restoration is gaining wider acceptance. Till date many studies have been conducted using various antimicrobial agents as cavity disinfectants, along with exploring their effect on adhesion of subsequently placed restoration. While few of the disinfectants have been discarded from use due to cytotoxicity, few others are still in the phase of emergence necessitating further studies. Chlorhexidine has set the standard for comparison of all other cavity disinfectants. This article is an effort to compile all literature about need for cavity disinfection and various cavity disinfectants, thereby creating an awareness to make cavity disinfection a routine practice. Articles on this topic were located via PubMed search and google search using a variety of keywords, and via selective hand-searching of cross citations contained within located articles. Clinical Significance: Mechanical removal of carious dentin alone is not effective in completely eliminating the cariogenic bacteria. Thus cavity disinfection has to be routinely practiced during restorative procedures, Clinical Significance: Mechanical removal of carious dentin alone is not effective in completely eliminating the cariogenic bacteria. Thus cavity disinfection has to be routinely practiced during restorative procedures.