Evaluation of the antimicrobial effect of endodontic sealers on microbiota associated with root canal infections

Abstract

The present study aimed to evaluate the antimicrobial effect of the most commonly used sealers against the microorganisms that isolated from teeth with root canal infections. One hundred and twenty patients whom attended dental clinic of Al-Diwaniyah Teaching Hospital for root canal treatment on one tooth only were included. By using VITEK 2- Compact system to identify the microorganisms associated with endodontic infections, Streptococcus bacteria were more frequently isolated (105 isolates), and this number was including S.pyogenes 24(16.5%) , S. mutans 23(15.6%), S.sangius 14(9.5%), S.angiosus 10(6.8%), S.pneumonia 9(6.3%), S.intermedius 9(6.3%), S.mitis 6(4%), S.salivarius 5(3.4%), Enterococcus faecalis had been recovered from root canals of 5(3.4%)teeth,. Also this study revealed that Staphylococcus bacteria were isolated from 25 infected root canal, consisting of S.aureus 17(11.5%) and S.epidermides 8(5.4%), whereas Lactobacillus acidophilus isolated in small percentage (3.4%). Candida albicans represented 12(8.1%) of tested isolations, In this study, the agar diffusion test had been used to evaluate the antimicrobial effect of commercially used endodontic sealers, the mean diameter of inhibition zone was the smallest with calcium hydroxide (1.2 mm), whereas the highest was with zinc oxide eugenol (14.9 mm). The inhibition zone of zinc oxide eugenol (antimicrobial effect) was significantly higher by a mean of 13.7 mm compared to the reference material (calcium hydroxide). The use of Resin based sealer would significantly increase the diameter of inhibition zone by 2.2 mm compared to reference sealer material. The antibacterial effect of zinc oxide eugenol and resin based were both very high compared to that of reference sealer material.