Prevention of the Ingress of a Known Virulent Bacterium into the Root Canal System by Intracanal Medications

Contamination of the root canal system by persistent, enteric bacteria via leakage through interim restorations has been well documented. This in vitro study evaluated the ability of interappointment medications to prevent contamination of the root canal system by Enterococcus faecalis. Coronally unsealed, medicated tooth roots fixed in a closed system were contaminated daily with a standardized, aerobic, broth culture of E. faecalis. Four medications were evaluated ( n = 15): group A, calcium hydroxide/methylcellulose paste; group B, camphorated parachlorophenol/calcium hydroxide paste; group C, 1% chlorhexidine/methylcellulose gel; and group D, calcium hydroxide points. The mean number of days to contamination as indicated by turbidity in the closed system was the following: group A, 37; group B, 46; group C, 16; group D, 5; and a positive control (no medication), 3. A one-way analysis of variance with a Scheffé post hoc test (p = 0.05) detected significant differences in effectiveness with A and B superior to C and D, and C superior to D.