The Effect of Ginger Extract as an Intracanal medicament on Enterococcus Faecalis Biofilm and Dentin Microhardness

Abstract

One of the important goals of root canal treatment is eradication of the microorganisms from the root canal system. Enterococcus faecalis normally found in the human intestine, but may temporarily be located in the oral cavity, where they have been correlated to pathogenic oral manifestations such as mucosal lesions in immunocompromised patients, and as superinfecting organisms in periodontitis and, most importantly, in persistent root canal infections. Several studies have shown that enterococci resist various intracanal treatment procedures. This is attributed to their ability to penetrate dentinal tubules, withstand high pH values, possess virulence factors and because of biofilm formation. Hence, the use of an intracanal medication helps in the eradication of bacteria, thereby providing an environment conducive for periapical tissue repair. The need for root canal medicaments with antibacterial action is required to maximize the disinfection, especially in those cases where an infection is resistant to regular treatment and therapy can’t be successfully completed due to the presence of pain or continuing exudates. Summary and Conclusion 78 The current study aimed to evaluate the effect of aqueous ginger extract on Enterococcus faecalis biofilm and dentin microhardness. Results of the current study showed that triple antibiotic paste had a strong activity against E.faecalis biofilm. The current study found a powerful antibacterial effect for chlorhexidine gel (2%) against E.faecalis with results comparable to those achieved by triple antibiotic paste. The current study showed no significant difference between triple antibiotic paste and chlorhexidine gluconate gel (2%) in their antibacterial effect. The higher concentrations of chlorhexidine results in the precipitation of bacterial cytoplasm as a result of the interaction between chlorhexidine and phosphated entities, such as adenosine triphosphate and nucleic acids.