title: Antibacterial activity of various root canal sealers and root-end filling materials in dentin blocks infected ex vivo with Enterococcus faecalis.
abstract: 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.
  
  
  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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endodontics, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Oslo , Oslo , Norway.
authors.forename: Harald
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Prestegaard
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Portenier
authors.forename: Dag
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ørstavik
authors.forename: Guven
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kayaoglu
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Haapasalo
authors.forename: Unni
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Endal
mesh_terms: D017607:Aluminum Compounds / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D058491:Bacterial Load / Q000187:drug effects; D017610:Calcium Compounds / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002126:Calcium Hydroxide / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003188:Composite Resins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003786:Dental Pulp Cavity / Q000382:microbiology*; D003804:Dentin / Q000382:microbiology*; D004129:Dimethylpolysiloxanes / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004338:Drug Combinations; D013293:Enterococcus faecalis / Q000187:drug effects*; D004853:Epoxy Resins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006171:Gutta-Percha / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D006813:Humidity; D008422:Materials Testing; D008768:Methylmethacrylates / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010087:Oxides / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012387:Root Canal Filling Materials / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012389:Root Canal Obturation; D018915:Root Canal Preparation / Q000295:instrumentation; D017640:Silicates / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016369:Smear Layer / Q000473:pathology; D013696:Temperature; D013997:Time Factors; D015035:Zinc Oxide-Eugenol Cement / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D017607:Aluminum Compounds; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D017610:Calcium Compounds; D003188:Composite Resins; D004129:Dimethylpolysiloxanes; D004338:Drug Combinations; C481259:EndoRez; D004853:Epoxy Resins; C515718:GuttaFlow; D008768:Methylmethacrylates; D010087:Oxides; D012387:Root Canal Filling Materials; D017640:Silicates; D015035:Zinc Oxide-Eugenol Cement; C486893:epiphany sealer; C534916:epoxy resin-based root canal sealer; C086631:mineral trioxide aggregate; C486892:resilon sealer; C031667:IRM cement; D006171:Gutta-Percha; D002126:Calcium Hydroxide
keywords: antibacterial agents; endodontics; root canal filling materials; root canal therapy