title: Antimicrobial Efficacy of Endodontic Irrigants against Enterococcus Faecalis and Escherichia Coli: An in vitro study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the relative antimicrobial efficacy of five different commonly used antimicrobial agents with regard to reduction in the number of Enterococcus faecalis and Escherichia coli as compared to normal saline. An agar disk diffusion in vitro method was used to test the efficacy of the root canal irrigants against these two microorganisms. The root canal irrigants used were: 5.25% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl), 10% citric acid, 17% ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA), 3% hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), 0.2% cetrimide and normal saline (as control).
  
  
  METHODS
  The sample size consisted of 120 agar plates, divided into two groups: groups I and II. Group I consisted of 60 blood agar plates for assessment of E. faecalis and group II consisted of 60 MacConkey agar plates for assessment of E. coli. On each agar plate, 6 circular cellulose nitrate paper disks were placed, on which the inoculum of the respective microorganism was poured with a micropipette. After incubation, these paper disks were removed and put in test tubes containing the particular root canal irrigants, and were vortexed for 60 seconds.The microbial count was then assessed using a microbial colony counter.
  
  
  RESULTS
  RESULTS showed that in the group I (E. faecalis), maximum reduction was achieved with cetrimide, followed by NaOCl, H2O2, citric acid and then EDTA. In group II (E. coli), maximum reduction was achieved with NaOCl, followed by cetrimide, H2O2, citric acid and then EDTA. How to cite this article: Kaushik N, Rehani U, Agarwal A, Kaushik M, Adlakha V. Antimicrobial Efficacy of Endodontic Irrigants against Enterococcus Faecalis and Escherichia Coli: An in vitro study. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2013;6(2):178-182.
authors.affiliation: Senior Lecturer, Department of Pedodontics, Subharti Dental College Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India, e-mail: drmayurkaushik@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Noopur
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kaushik
authors.affiliation: Professor, Department of Pedodontics, Inderprastha Dental College New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Usha
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Rehani
authors.affiliation: Professor, Department of Pedodontics, Kalka Dental College, Meerut Uttar Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: Abhay
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Agarwal
authors.affiliation: Reader, Department of Periodontics, Subharti Dental College, Meerut Uttar Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: Mayur
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kaushik
authors.affiliation: Reader, Department of Pedodontics, Subharti Dental College, Meerut Uttar Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: Vivek
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Adlakha
keywords: Cetrimide; Enterococcus faecalis; Escherichia Coli; Root canal irrigants; Sodium hypochlorite