Influence of irrigation regimens on the adherence of Enterococcus faecalis to root canal dentin.
Enterococcus faecalis is frequently associated with post-treatment endodontic infections. Because adherence of bacteria to a substrate is the earliest stage in biofilm formation, eliciting the factors that links adherence of this bacterium to dentin would help in understanding its association with treatment-failed root canals. This investigation aimed to study the effects of endodontic irrigants on the adherence of E. faecalis to dentin. The bacteria adherence assay was conducted by using fluorescence microscopy, and the adhesion force was measured by using atomic force microscopy. There were significant increases in adherence and adhesion force after irrigation of dentin with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), whereas sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) reduced it. With the use of chlorhexidine (CHX), the force of adhesion increased, but the adherence assay showed a reduction in the number of adhering bacteria. The irrigation regimen of EDTA, NaOCl, and CHX resulted in the least number of adhering E. faecalis cells. This study highlighted that chemicals that alter the physicochemical properties of dentin will influence the nature of adherence, adhesion force, and subsequent biofilm formation of E. faecalis to dentin.
Department of Restorative Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, National University of Singapore, Singapore. rsdak@nus.edu.sg
Anil
A
Kishen
Chee-Peng
CP
Sum
Shibi
S
Mathew
Chwee-Teck
CT
Lim
D001422:Bacterial Adhesion / Q000187:drug effects; D002710:Chlorhexidine; D003786:Dental Pulp Cavity / Q000382:microbiology*; D003799:Dental Stress Analysis; D003804:Dentin / Q000187:drug effects / Q000382:microbiology*; D003806:Dentin Permeability / Q000187:drug effects; D004492:Edetic Acid; D013293:Enterococcus faecalis / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D012388:Root Canal Irrigants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012973:Sodium Hypochlorite; D007507:Therapeutic Irrigation / Q000379:methods
D012388:Root Canal Irrigants; D004492:Edetic Acid; D012973:Sodium Hypochlorite; D002710:Chlorhexidine