Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / The furanone derivatives and their constructed polymers were synthesized, characterized and formulated into dental glass-ionomer cement (GIC) and resin composite for improved antibacterial properties. Compressive strength (CS) and S. mutans viability were used to evaluate the mechanical strength and antibacterial activity of the restoratives. Fuji II LC cement and P60 were used as control. The specimens were conditioned in distilled water at 37 oC for 24 h prior to testing. The effects of loading, saliva and aging on CS and S. mutans viability were investigated. The antibacterial effect of the furanone derivative on other bacteria was also studied. Chapter 2 describes how we studied and evaluated the formulated antibacterial glass-ionomer cement by incorporating the synthesized furanone derivative-containing polymer into the formulation. The results show that all the formulated furanone-containing cements showed a significant antibacterial activity, accompanying with an initial CS reduction. Increasing loading significantly enhanced antibacterial activity but reduced the initial CS of the formed cements. The derivative showed a broad antibacterial spectrum on bacteria including S. mutans, lactobacillus, S. aureus and S. epidermidis. Human saliva did not affect the antibacterial activity of the cement. The long-term aging study indicates that the cements may have a long-lasting antibacterial function. Chapter 3 describes how we studied and evaluated the formulated antibacterial resin composite by incorporating the synthesized furanone derivative into the basic resin formulations. The results show that the modified resin composites showed a significant antibacterial activity without substantially decreasing the mechanical strengths. With 5 to 30% addition of the furanone derivative, the composite kept its original CS unchanged but showed a significant antibacterial activity with a 16-68% reduction in the S. mutans viability. Further, the antibacterial function of the new composite was not affected by human saliva. The aging study indicates that the composite may have a long-lasting antibacterial function. In summary, we have developed a novel furanone-containing antibacterial system for dental restoratives. Both glass-ionomer cement and resin composite have demonstrated significant antibacterial activities. The modified experimental glass-ionomer cement is a promising system because the reduced strength of the cement with addition of the furanone-containing polymer is still above those demonstrated by original commercial cement Fuji II LC. The modified resin composite shows nearly no reduction in mechanical strength after incorporation of the antibacterial furanone derivative. It appears that both experimental cement and resin composite are clinically attractive dental restoratives that can be potentially used for long-lasting restorations due to their high mechanical strength and permanent antibacterial function.