Antimicrobial evaluation of gutta-percha point containing calcium hydroxide and calcium hydroxide paste in infected root canal

Microbial irritation is the major etiologic cause of pulp and periapical lesions. Therefore the main goal of endodontic treatment is complete elimination or inimizing acteria with chemo-mechanical preparation. Calcium hydroxide is one of the chemical substances, which are used, in endodontic treatment and its antimicrobial effect on various bacteria has extensively has been studied and researched. Recently Gutta-percha point containing calcium hydroxide has been offered to dentistry.The purpose this study was to examine the antimicrobial effects of this substance in infected root canals. m aterial and In this study ninty extracted human maxillary central incisors, which had been extracted to various reasons, were selected. After canal preparation and root sterilization, all the samples (excluding 10 negative control samples) were contaminated by bacillus subtillis. Then these eighty roots were randomly divided into 3 groups, which were 10 roots as positive control group (non medicated), 35 roots medicated with Gutta-percha point containing calcium hydroxide as group A, 35 roots medicated with calcium hydroxide as group B. after 1, 2, 3, 5 and 7 days in these three groups, antimicrobial effect was assessed. The result showed no significant difference (p=0.35) between antimicrobial effect of Gutta-percha point containing calcium hydroxide and calcium hydroxide past. Since there is no significant difference between antimicrobial effect of Gutta-percha point containing calcium hydroxide and calcium hydroxide past, it seems that the usage of this product as an intracanal medication should be more investigated. [ZJRMS, 12(2): 13-17]