Dinesh Kumar, Narendeep Ashutosh

ABSTRACT

Background Bacteria have long been recognized as the primary etiologic factors in the development of pulp and periapical lesions. Chemical debridement is especially needed for teeth with complex internal anatomy such as fins or other irregularities that might be missed by instrumentation. Hence; the present study was undertaken for assessing and comparing the efficacy of two different root canal irrigants solutions used for root canal therapy. Materials & methods A total of 30 freshly extracted maxillary second premolars were included in the present study. All the tooth specimens were divided into two study groups depending upon the type of root canal irrigants used as follows: Group A- Irrigant 2% chlorhexidine (CHX), and Group B-Irrigant 1% povidone Iodine. Biomechanical preparation of the root canals was done. Regular irrigation of the root canals was done according to the respective groups. For a period of six hours, canals were filled with sterile water followed insertion of endodontic paper points into the canals for two minutes. Same procedure of sampling was repeated after12 hours and 24 hours. All the paper point samples were placed in mitis salivarius-bacitracin streptomycin (MSBS) agar plates followed by incubation. Assessment of zones of inhibition was done using a magnifying lens. Results Mean zone of inhibition among specimens of group A at 0 to 6 hours, 6 to 12 hours and 12 to 24 hours of sampling was 3.79 mm, 3.08 mm, 2.39 mm respectively. Mean zone of inhibition among specimens of group B at 0 to 6 hours, 6 to 12 hours and 12 to 24 hours of sampling was 2.26 mm, 2.01 mm, 1.79 mm respectively. In the present study, a significant reduction in the zone of inhibition was seen among specimens of group A and group B at successive time intervals of sampling (p- value < 0.05). Also, while comparing at different time intervals, it was seen in the zone of inhibition was maximum among specimens of group A in comparison to group B. Conclusion In comparison to1% povidone Iodine, CHX exhibited higher anti-microbial efficacy and hence is the preferred root canal irrigant in comparison to 1% povidone Iodine.