Homeopathic consideration for resistant endodontic bacteria Enterococcus faecalis: An in vitro comparative disc...

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Alternative Medicine
• Dental Therapeutics

Background:

• Homeopathy is a widely used complementary and alternative medicine system.
• Enterococcus faecalis is a common pathogen in endodontic infections.
• This study evaluated homeopathic agents as potential intracanal medicaments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the antibacterial efficacy of acid benzoicum 30C and silicea 6C against Enterococcus faecalis.
• To assess the efficacy of these homeopathic medicaments against calcium hydroxide.

Main Methods:

• In vitro study design using Enterococcus faecalis (ATCC-29212).
• Medicaments tested: acid benzoicum, silicea, and calcium hydroxide.
• Antibacterial activity measured by zone of inhibition (mm); statistical analysis using ANOVA and Tukey's posthoc test.

Main Results:

• Acid benzoicum exhibited the largest zone of inhibition against E. faecalis (17.2 ± 0.65 mm).
• A statistically significant difference in antibacterial activity was observed among the three groups (P < 0.001).

Conclusions:

• Acid benzoicum demonstrated the highest in vitro antimicrobial activity against Enterococcus faecalis.
• Silicea also showed antimicrobial effects, followed by calcium hydroxide.
• Homeopathic agents show potential as intracanal medicaments.