Antibacterial Properties of Dental Calcium Silicate Cement Against Enterococcus Faecalis

Objectives: Due to the failure of root canal treatment caused by bacteria, the importance of the antibacterial activity of dental calcium silicate cement is being emphasized. This study aimed to evaluate the antibacterial activities and the sustainability of the antibacterial activities of commercially available dental calcium silicate cement.
Methods: ProRoot MTA (Dentsply, USA) was mixed with distilled water (PRW) and chlorhexidine (PRC). Endocem MTA (Maruchi, Korea) was also mixed with distilled water (EW) and chlorhexidine (EC), and a syringe-type of Endocem MTA Premixed (EP, Maruchi) was used. The specimens were prepared in the disc shape (6 mm x 1 mm). The antibacterial activities and the sustainability of the antibacterial activity up to 10 days against Enterococcus faecalis were evaluated by direct contact test. Chlorhexidine was used as a positive control (PC). Cytotoxicity was assessed on L929 for 1, 2, 3, and 7 days. Statistical analysis was done on antibacterial activity by ANOVA, and the other data were analyzed by the Kruskal-Wallis test (a= 0.05).
Results: The antibacterial activity of EP, EW, and EC was higher than PRC and PRW. The sustainability of EP and PRC groups' antibacterial activity was not significantly different from the PC group in 1, 2, and 10 days. Cytotoxicity was present in only the PRC group at 2, 3, and 7 days.
Conclusions: Considering the antibacterial activity, its sustainability, and the cytotoxicity, EP is considered to be helpful to inhibit Enterococcus faecalis in root canal treatment.