title: Antimicrobial activity of different endodontic sealers: an in vitro evaluation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Microbes are considered as the primary etiological agents in endodontic diseases. The ways of reducing these agents are root canal debridement, antimicrobial irrigants, and antibacterial filling materials. But the complexity of the pulp canal system presents a problem for chemomechanical preparation. One of the factors determining the success of endodontic treatment is the sealing material with a potent bactericidal effect.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the present study was to assess the antimicrobial activity of endodontic sealers of different bases - in vitro.
  
  
  METHODS
  The antimicrobial activity of three root canal sealers (endomethasone, AH 26, and apexit) was evaluated against seven strains of bacteria at various time intervals using the agar diffusion test. The freshly mixed sealers were placed in prepared wells of agar plates inoculated with the test microorganisms. The plates were incubated for 24, 48, 72 hours, and 7 and 15 days. The mean zones of inhibition were measured.
  
  
  METHODS
  All statistical analysis was performed using the SPSS 13 statistical software version. The analysis of variance (ANOVA), post-hoc Bonferroni test, and paired t test were performed to reveal the statistical significance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Statistically significant zones of bacterial growth inhibition were observed in descending order of antimicrobial activity: endomethasone, AH 26, and apexit.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Zinc oxide eugenol based root canal sealer produced largest inhibitory zones followed in decreasing order by epoxy resin based sealer and least by calcium hydroxide based root canal sealer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pedodontics, Sardar Patel Postgraduate Institute of Dental and Medical Sciences, Lucknow, India. sonalisaha24@yahoo.co.in
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saha
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Samadi
authors.forename: J N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Jaiswal
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Ghoshal
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects*; D002126:Calcium Hydroxide / Q000494:pharmacology; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D003786:Dental Pulp Cavity / Q000382:microbiology*; D004853:Epoxy Resins / Q000494:pharmacology; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D012387:Root Canal Filling Materials / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D015035:Zinc Oxide-Eugenol Cement / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D004853:Epoxy Resins; D012387:Root Canal Filling Materials; D015035:Zinc Oxide-Eugenol Cement; D002126:Calcium Hydroxide