ASSESSMENT OF ANTIBACTERIAL EFFECT AND FLOWABILITY OF MODIFIED BC SEALER WITH CHITOSAN PARTICLES

Abstract

Introduction: The primary reason for endodontic treatment failure is microbial infection inside the root canal system by different microbes including Enterococcus faecalis. Endodontic sealers with Chitosan (CS), a compound with antimicrobial effects, can decrease the growth of microorganisms and potentially prevent failure. Purpose: The aim of this study was to assess the antimicrobial activity ex-vivo and flowability of calcium silicate root canal sealers with added CS fillers. Materials and methods: EndoSequence (BC) sealer was mixed with CS fillers in two different concentrations (5% and 10%wt). Flowability was analyzed according to ISO-6876. The antibacterial assessment was conducted using an ex-vivo model. Extracted single-rooted teeth were infected with E. faecalis for 7 days. Follow the root canal treatment, the sealers (BC, BC+CS-5%, BC+CS-10%, N=6) were used for obturation and re-incubated in the bioreactor for 24 hours. Untreated teeth were used as positive control. Cell viability (CFU/mL) and fluorescence microscopy were used to determine the number of bacteria at the bonded interface. ANOVA was used for statistical analysis. Results: Addition of CS fillers into BC resulted in a significant decrease in flowability (BC:22mm, BC+CS-5%:19mm, BC+CS-10%:16mm). All evaluated sealers showed antibacterial activity. The addition of CS significantly reduced the viable cells (log(CFU/mL)) (CS-5%:5.3, CS-10%:4.6) compared with the BC (5.9) and positive control (7.2). Fluorescence analysis showed that CS-Sealers group had an increased number of dead cells (CS-10%:77.3%, CS-5%:64.4%) compared with the BC-Sealer (37.9%) and positive control (23.3%). Conclusion: Endodontic sealers with added CS enhanced antimicrobial effects of the sealer. However, adding more than 5% of CS affects the flow properties of the sealer.