Evaluation of the efficacy of a novel antibiotic–steroid paste versus conventionally used intracanal antibiotic pastes and irrigating solutions against a 3 week

Abstract

Introduction: Intracanal medicaments have been used during endodontic regenerative procedures to eradicateendodontic pathogens. Aims: The aim of our study was (1) to evaluate the antimicrobial efficacy of a novel antibiotic–steroid paste overthe regularly used calcium hydroxide (Ca (OH) 2 ), double antibiotic paste (DAP), and modified triple antibioticpaste (M-TAP) and (2) to check the antimicrobial efficacy of irrigating solutions, Chlorhexidine (CHX), and sodiumhypochlorite (NaOCl) against a 3-week-old Enterococcus faecalis ( E. faecalis ) biofilm. Materials and Methods: A total of 112 human extracted teeth were contaminated with E. faecalis for a period of21 days. A novel antibiotic–steroid paste, Ca (OH) 2 , DAP, M-TAP, and a placebo were placed inside the canal,sealed, and incubated in an aerobic environment at 37°C. For irrigating solutions, each prepared sample wasimmersed in 1 ml of sterile saline for 1 min, followed by irrigating and immersion with 1.5% NaOCl and 2% CHXfor 5 min. An antimicrobial assessment was performed at the end of 2 days and 7 days, with seven teeth from eachgroup, for each time interval. Dentin debris collected was transferred to the respective medium for culture. After 24h, colonies were counted using classical bacterial counting technique as colony-forming units. Results: Statistical analysis revealed that the novel antibiotic–steroid paste showed a statistically insignificantdifference when compared to DAP, which had the highest antimicrobial properties. Conclusion: This novel functional paste has antimicrobial efficacy comparable with that of DAP.