Bioceramics: Not Just a Seal, But also an Antibacterial Deal

Abstract

Introduction and aim: The main goal of endodontic therapy is prevention and control of root canal infection. Removing all bacteria in the canal prior to obturation has proven to be difficult even after chemomechanical preparation.Therefore a sealer with adequate antibacterial properties is essential in ensuring the success of the endodontic treatment. The aim of this study is to compare the in vitro antibacterial activity of various bioceramic sealerson Enterococcus faecalis after 24 hours and 48 hours.Materials and Methods: The antibacterial activity of four sealers (Guttaflow Bioseal, BioRoot RCS, MTA fillapex and AH plus) was evaluated by employing the diffusion method on Muller-Hinton agar. A base layer was made using Muller-Hinton agar and wells were made by removing the agar at equidistant points. The sealers were placed into the wells immediately after manipulation according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212 was seeded by pour plate. The plates were kept at room temperature for 2 hours for pre-diffusion and then incubated at 37 °C. And the zones of inhibition were measured after 24 hours and 48 hours. Results: BioRoot RCS showed maximum antibacterial property followed by MTA fillapex and Guttaflow Bioseal which showed similar inhibitory effects. AH Plus showed the least antibacterial effect.Conclusion: Bioceramic sealers showed a greater antibacterial efficacy when compared to resin based sealers. Even though, it is not advisable to depend on the antimicrobial activity of the sealer alone in the treatment of infected root canals, it is safe to say, if a test material consistently induces a strong antibacterial effect in the sensitivity tests, it is very likely also to exert antibacterial action in living tissues.