Antibacterial activity of various root canal sealers and root-end filling materials in dentin blocks infected ex vivo with Enterococcus faecalis.

OBJECTIVE: The aim was to investigate the antibacterial activity of the root-end filling materials MTA and IRM, different endodontic sealers and calcium hydroxide [Ca(OH)2] in experimentally infected dentinal tubules. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ninety-four human root segments were prepared and the root canals were enlarged to ISO size 90. After smear removal, the specimens were infected with Enterococcus faecalis for 3 weeks. The roots were divided into eight groups and filled either with MTA, IRM, Ca(OH)2, gutta-percha and EndoRez (ER)/GuttaFlow (GF)/AH Plus (AH+) or with Resilon and Epiphany (EpRe). One group of specimens was left unfilled for control. Half of the specimens were treated for 1 day and the other half for 7 days in humid conditions at 37°C. Dentin samples from each canal were collected by enlarging the canals to ISO size 150; thus a dentinal depth of 300 µm was sampled. The number of cultivable bacteria was determined for each specimen. Statistical significance was set to 5%. RESULTS: After 1-day or 7-days of treatment, compared to control, all materials (except ER and GF at day 7) significantly reduced the number of bacteria. At day 1 and day 7, no significant difference was found between ER and GF and between Ca(OH)2, AH+, EpRe, IRM and MTA. However, a significant difference was found between these two groups of materials (except between GF and EpRe at day 7). Significantly more bacteria were cultured in the ER, GF, EpRe and IRM groups at day 7 compared to day 1. CONCLUSIONS: All materials exerted varying degrees of antibacterial activity which generally tended to decrease with time. The most stable antibacterial effect throughout the 7-day period was for Ca(OH)2, AH+ and MTA.

Treatment of pulps in teeth affected by deep caries - A systematic review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: This systematic review assesses the effect of methods commonly used to manage the pulp in cases of deep caries lesions, and the extent the pulp chamber remains uninfected and does not cause pulpal or periapical inflammatory lesions and associated tooth-ache over time. STUDY DESIGN: An electronic literature search included the databases PubMed, EMBASE, The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and Cochrane Reviews from January 1950 to March 2013. In addition, hand searches were carried out. Two reviewers independently evaluated abstracts and full-text articles. An article was read in full if at least one of the two reviewers considered the abstract potentially relevant. Altogether, 161 articles were read in full text. Of these, 24 studies fulfilled established inclusion criteria. Based on studies of at least moderate quality, the quality of evidence of each procedure was rated in four levels according to GRADE. RESULTS: No study reached the high quality level. Twelve were of moderate quality. The overall evidence was insufficient to assess which of indirect pulp capping, stepwise excavation, direct excavation and pulp capping/partial pulpotomy, pulpotomy or pulpectomy is the most effective treatment approach for teeth with deep caries. CONCLUSIONS: Because of the lack of good studies it is not possible to determine whether an injured pulp by deep caries can be maintained or whether it should be removed and replaced with a root canal filling. Both randomized studies and prospective observational studies are needed to investigate whether a pulp exposed to deep caries is best treated by measures intended to preserve it or by pulpectomy and root filling.

Effects of dentin on the antimicrobial properties of endodontic medicaments.

Successful treatment of apical periodontitis is dependent on the elimination of the infective microflora from the necrotic root canal system. Antimicrobial irrigating solutions and other locally used disinfecting agents and medicaments have a key role in the eradication of the microbes. While most if not all presently used disinfecting agents rapidly kill even the resistant microbes when tested in vitro in a test tube, the effectiveness of the same agents is clearly weaker in the in vivo conditions. Recent studies have given valuable information about the interaction of endodontic disinfecting agents with dentin and other compounds present in the necrotic root canal. As a result of such interactions the antimicrobial effectiveness of several of our key disinfectants may be weakened, or even eliminated under certain circumstances. Different disinfectants show different sensitivity to the action by the various potential inactivators, such as dentin, serum proteins, hydroxyapatite, collagen derived from different sources, and microbial biomass. This review is a summary of our present knowledge of the mostly negative interactions between endodontic disinfecting agents and the various compounds present in the root canal environment.

Killing of Enterococcus faecalis by MTAD and chlorhexidine digluconate with or without cetrimide in the presence or absence of dentine powder or BSA.

The antibacterial efficacy of irrigating solutions and local disinfectants used in endodontics appears poorer in vivo than in vitro. One explanation may be inactivation by compounds present in the root canal. MTAD (a mixture of tetracycline isomer, acid, and detergent) is a new root canal irrigation solution with antibacterial activity. The aim of this study was to investigate the antibacterial activity of MTAD and chlorhexidine towards two strains of Enterococcus faecalis and the inhibitory effects of dentine and bovine serum albumin on the antibacterial activity. Survival of bacteria exposed to the medicaments in the presence or absence of inhibitors was monitored in an in vitro model. Full concentration (100%) MTAD and 0.2% chlorhexidine rapidly killed both strains. Combining chlorhexidine with cetrimide further reduced the time required for killing. The presence of dentine or BSA caused a marked delay in killing by both medicaments. The two E. faecalis strains tested showed minor differences in their susceptibility to the disinfectants.

The susceptibility of starved, stationary phase, and growing cells of Enterococcus faecalis to endodontic medicaments.

The purpose of this investigation was to compare the susceptibility of cells of Enterococcus faecalis during exponential growth, stationary phase and starvation phase to three endodontic medicaments. E. faecalis strains VP3-80 and A197A in different growth phases were exposed to saturated calcium hydroxide solution, 0.05% chlorhexidine digluconate and 0.0001% sodium hypochlorite. Cells in the exponential growth phase were the most sensitive to all three medicaments and were killed between 3 s and 10 min. Cells in stationary phase were more resistant and living cells could be recovered at 10 min. However, cells in starvation phase were the most resistant and were not totally eliminated by the medicaments during the 10-min test period. Number of surviving cells of E. faecalis cells to the tested medicaments increased 1000- to 10,000-folds in aging cultures.

Inactivation of the antibacterial activity of iodine potassium iodide and chlorhexidine digluconate against Enterococcus faecalis by dentin, dentin matrix, type-I collagen, and heat-killed microbial whole cells.

The antibacterial activity of chlorhexidine digluconate and iodine potassium iodide on Enterococcus faecalis A197A was tested in the presence of dentin, dentin matrix, dentin pretreated by EDTA and citric acid, collagen, and heat-killed cells of Enterococcus faecalis and Candida albicans. Medications were preincubated for 1 h with each of the potential inhibitors and tested for their antibacterial activity against E. faecalis, strain A197A. Surviving bacteria were sampled after 1 and 24 h of incubation. Dentin matrix and heat-killed microbial cells were the most effective inhibitors of chlorhexidine, whereas dentin pretreated by citric acid or EDTA showed only slight inhibition. Dentin and skin collagen showed some inhibition at 1 h but not after 24 h. Iodine potassium iodide was effectively inhibited by dentin, dentin matrix, and heat-killed microbial cells. Skin collagen and dentin pretreated by EDTA or by citric acid showed little or no inhibitory effect on iodine potassium iodide. Different components of dentin are responsible for the divergent patterns of inhibition of the antibacterial activity of chlorhexidine digluconate and iodine potassium iodide. Chemical treatment of dentin before applying the medication into the root canal may alter the antibacterial effect of the medication.