Antibacterial Activity of Root-end Filling Materials

Purpose: The present study was undertaken to evaluate and compare the antibacterial effectiveness of five root-end filling materials. Material and methods: The agar diffusion method was employed to evaluate the inhibition zone provided by the following root-end filling materials: Pro Root MTA, Portland cement, Super-EBA. IRM, Sealer 26, and silver amalgam. The target microorganisms included five anaerobic bacterial species (Porphyromonas gingivalis, Parvimonas micra, Fusobacterium nucleatum. Propionibacterium acnes and Eubacterium saburreum) and two facultative bacterial species (Actinomyces viscosus and Enterococcus faecalis). Results: Sealer 26 demonstrated the largest inhibitory effects on all species tested. IRM and Super-EBA were inhibitory only to P. gingivalis, but this effect was far less pronounced as compared to Sealer 26. MTA, Portland cement, and amalgam proved ineffective against all species tested. Conclusion: These findings revealed that Sealer 26 has more pronounced antibacterial effects when compared to other commonly used root-end filling materials.