Sustained-Release Fillers for Dentin Disinfection: An Ex Vivo Study.

Area of Science:

• Endodontics
• Microbiology
• Materials Science

Background:

• Enterococcus faecalis is a primary cause of root canal treatment failure.
• Disinfection of dentinal tubules is crucial for successful endodontic therapy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of a novel sustained-release filler (SRF) containing cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) in disinfecting dentinal tubules.
• To compare the performance of SRF-CPC with calcium hydroxide (CH) against E. faecalis.

Main Methods:

• Human dental root specimens were infected with E. faecalis.
• Specimens were treated with SRF-CPC or CH for 7 days.
• Bacteriological samples were collected from dentinal tubules, and bacterial counts were determined.
• Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used for evaluation.

Main Results:

• SRF-CPC significantly reduced bacterial counts in all dentinal layers.
• CH showed significant reduction only in the superficial layer (up to 150 μm).
• CLSM revealed SRF-CPC penetrated up to 700 μm, killing most bacteria.
• SEM confirmed SRF-CPC's adhesion to the dentinal wall.

Conclusions:

• SRF-CPC demonstrates significant potential as an intracanal medicament for disinfecting dentinal tubules.
• SRF-CPC offers superior disinfection depth compared to CH.
• The novel SRF-CPC formulation warrants further investigation for endodontic applications.