Antimicrobial activity of three root canal irrigants on Enterococcus faecalis: an in vitro study

ABSTRACT

The aim of this study was to compare the antimicrobial effects of 2.5% Sodium hypochlorite [NaOCl], 2% Chlorhexidine Gluconate [CHX] and BioPure MTAD [MTAD] on Enterococcus [E] faecalis-contaminated root canals of human extracted teeth. Seventy human intact extracted single-rooted teeth with straight root canal randomly divided into 5 groups positive control [n=5], negative control [n=5], 2.5% NaOCl [n=20], 2% CHX [n=20], and MTAD [n=20]. Each tooth was instrumented using the passive step-back technique hand and rotary instruments. E. faecalis incubated into the canals and grew for 4 weeks. Canals irrigated using three mentioned solutions for 5 minutes. Samples were taken from canal walls and transferred into Brain Heart Infusion [BHI] culture medium and placed in an incubator at 37??C for 96 hours and bacteriological evaluations were done. Chi- Square test and SPSS software were used for the statistical analysis of the results. Bacterial growth was seen in only one sample of MTAD group [5%], but in 4 of CHX group [20%] and 5 of NaOCl group [25%]. Chi-Square test showed no statistically difference between groups. Based on the results of this study, it seems that all three solutions have acceptable antimicrobial effect on E. faecalis