[Antibacterial effect of the materials for the root canal filling, bases and material for the cavity fillings].

OBJECTIVE

To assess antimicrobial effects of the materials used in the endodontic treatment of the teeth.

METHODS

The following root-canal fillings were examined: Ketac Endo, AH Plus, Diaket, and gutta-percha, by means of the agar diffusion test. As for the base materials, Zink Oxide/Eugenol cement, glass-ionomere cements Fuji II LC Improved, Ketac Cem, and phosphate cement and Harvard cement were investigated. Finally, of the materials for final cavity filling, amalgam, Ketac Molar and Fuji II LC Improved were tested. In the present research, the following bacteria were applied: Streptococcus mutans, Streptotoccus mitis, Lactobacillus species, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcusfaecalis, and polymicrobial suspention. For each individual bacterium tested, material samples were placed on the inoculated plates of blood-agar.

RESULTS

Antibacterial effects were confirmed in the following materials: root-canal fillings--Diaket, AH Plus, Ketac Endo; bases--Zink Oxide/Eugenol cement, phosphat cement and Harvard cement. No antibacterial effect was established in: amalgam, gutta-percha, Fuji II LC Improved, Ketac Cem and Ketac Molar. Diaket showed a statistically more significant antibacterial effect in comparison with AH Plus, Ketac Endo, and gutta-percha (P(s.mitis) < 0.05; P(s.mutans) < 0.05; p(lactobacillus) < 0.05; p(enterococcus) < 0.05; P(staphilococcus) < 0.05; p(polymicrobial) < 0.05); of the base materials, however, a somewhat stronger antimicrobial effect was found in phosphate cement, Harvard cement, and Zink Oxide/Eugenol (ZnOE) (p < 0.05) as compared with Fuji II LC Improved and Ketac Cem.

CONCLUSIONS

According to the results of this study, and considering the fact that all cavity-filling materials failed to show any antimicrobial effect at all, when choosing the materials for root-canal fillings, and for bases, advantage should be given to those with the manifested strongest antibacterial effect, namely Diaket and phosphate cement.