secondary caries, especially in atraumatic restorative treatment (ART). Therefore, this study was conducted to enhance the antibacterial activity of conventional glass ionomer cement (GIC) by adding nanoselenium (NSe) and to assess the impact on its cytocompatibility and compressive strength.

Methods

NSe was prepared and characterized, and its minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) against Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) was determined via the broth microdilution technique. Based on the MIC, grouping was performed. Group I included unmodified GIC samples mixed with water, and groups II–IV included GIC samples mixed with three different concentrations (75, 112.5, and 150 ppm, respectively) of the NSe suspension. Antibacterial activity against S. mutans was assessed via an agar disc diffusion test over