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

Aim 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 guttapercha, 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, Enterococcus faecalis, 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; of the base materials, however, a somewhat stronger antimicrobial P-staphilococcus<0.05; P-polymicrobial<0.05); effect was found in phosphate cement, Harvard cement, and Zink Oxide / Eugenol (ZnOE) (p<0.05) as compared with Fuji 11 LC Improved and Ketac Cem. Conclusion 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. Key words: antibacterial effect, material for root-canal fillings, glass ionomer cements, phosphate cement, amalgam, gutta-percha, Zink Oxide / Eugenol cement.