Assessment of Long-Term Success and Survival Rates of Different Types of Intracanal Medicaments

Antimicrobial endodontic intracanal medicaments play a vital role along with biomechanical preparation in the elimination of bacteria present in the pulp area to achieve success in endodontic therapy.

The present research was conducted with the objective of evaluating and comparing intracanal medicaments regarding antibacterial properties against Enterococcus faecalis.

One hundred and twenty healthy human premolars of the mandible were used. All premolar crowns were removed, keeping the standardized length of the root as 15 mm. Category 1 received triple antibiotic paste (TAP) (n = 30), Category 2 received double antibiotic paste (DAP) (n = 30), Category 3 received augmentin (n = 30), and Category 4 received calcium hydroxide (n = 30). Hygienic paper points were placed in each root canal, then they were moved to a tube containing 1 mL of brain-heart infusion medium and left there for bacteriological testing. Colony-forming units (CFUs) of E. faecalis were then observed and counted after the plates had been incubated overnight at a temperature of 37°C.

During intracategory comparisons, there was a significant reduction in colonies of E. feacilis in each category (P ≤ 0.001). When there were intercategory comparisons, there was a maximum reduction in CFU in specimens of Category 1 (TAP) followed by Category 3 (Augmentin) and Category 2 (DAP).

Intracanal medicaments like TAP, DAP, and augmentin are effective against root canal E. faecalis.