Antimicrobial Efficacy of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes and Their Combinations Against Enterococcus faecalis...

This study aimed to evaluate the antimicrobial efficacy of single-walled carbon nanotubes when combined with the commonly used intracanal medicaments by checking their zone of inhibition against Enterococcus faecalis.

The test materials were divided into five different groups, namely, Group I: single-walled carbon nanotubes; Group II: calcium hydroxide; Group III: chlorhexidine; Group IV: single-walled carbon nanotubes + calcium hydroxide; and Group V: single-walled carbon nanotubes + chlorhexidine. Five sterile Petri plates per group were inoculated with Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis); wells were made in the plates, one on each side, and a volume of 50 microliters of each solution was dispensed into individual wells using a pipette. The specimens were placed in an incubator at 37°C for a duration of 48 hours. The area of inhibition surrounding each well was documented and assessed. The statistical analysis was conducted using the Kruskal-Wallis test and the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test.

Single-walled carbon nanotubes combined with chlorhexidine have shown the highest antimicrobial efficacy against Enterococcus faecalis in comparison to all the test groups.

This study showcases the antimicrobial effectiveness of a blend of single-walled carbon nanotubes and chlorhexidine solution. It may be developed as a potent intracanal medicament in the future.