ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF ROOT CANAL FILLING MATERIALS FOR ENDODONTIC TREATMENT IN PRIMARY DENTITION

Aim. To evaluate in vitro the antimicrobial activity of materials used as root canal filling pastes for endodontic treatment in primary dentition. Material and methods. The antimicrobial effectiveness of six root canal filling materials with different chemical compositions was tested against eight microorganisms commonly found in infected root canals. The agar diffusion test was used. Eight wells per plate were created at equidistant points and filled with the test and control materials, and the plates were incubated at 37°C in the incubator. Following 24, 48, and 72 hours, a digital caliper was used to measure the diameter of the growth inhibition zones for each material in millimeters. Results. The difference between the mean diameter of growth inhibition zones of root canal filling materials tested (11.5 mm) and that of the control template (Vaseline) is statistically significant (p < 0.001). The antimicrobial effect is found to be large (Cohen's d = -2.46). Formalin-resorcin-zinc oxide paste exhibited the highest antimicrobial activity among the investigated materials. The mean diameter of the growth inhibition zone concerning all microorganisms was 30.27 mm. The combination of Calcium hydroxide + Iodofom paste had the lowest antimicrobial activity. The mean diameter of the growth inhibition zone was 6.73 mm. Conclusions. The antimicrobial activity of root canal filling materials can be summarized as follows: Formalin-Resorcin-Zinc Oxide>Zinc oxide eugenol>Zinc oxide eugenol+Chlorhexidine dihydrochloride>Calcium hydroxide+Chlorhexidine dihydrochloride>Calcium hydroxide>Calcium hydroxide+Iodoform>Vaseline.