Antibacterial Effect of Iodine-Based Paste With Silver Nanoparticles Against Enterococcus faecalis: An In Vitro Study

Area of Science:

• Dental materials science
• Microbiology
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Pulpectomy is crucial for primary teeth, requiring root canal disinfection.
• Anatomical complexity hinders complete eradication of bacteria like Enterococcus faecalis.
• Iodine-based pastes (Vitapex) are standard but their full antibacterial potential is unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the antibacterial efficacy of an iodine-based paste (Vitapex) with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) against Enterococcus faecalis.
• To compare the efficacy of Vitapex, AgNPs, and a combination of Vitapex and AgNPs.

Main Methods:

• Synthesized and characterized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs).
• Incorporated AgNPs into an iodoform paste (Vitapex).
• Evaluated antibacterial efficacy against Enterococcus faecalis using zones of inhibition in three groups: Vitapex, AgNPs, and Vitapex+AgNPs.

Main Results:

• The combination of Vitapex and AgNPs demonstrated significantly greater inhibition zones against E. faecalis (p=0.003).
• The Vitapex+AgNPs group showed higher antibacterial activity (SD 13.93 ± 0.83) compared to Vitapex (SD 10.26 ± 0.88) and AgNPs (SD 11.15 ± 2.40) alone.

Conclusions:

• Both Vitapex and AgNPs possess antibacterial properties against E. faecalis.
• Combining Vitapex with AgNPs results in a synergistic antibacterial effect, enhancing efficacy.