Evaluating the antimicrobial effectiveness of endodontic sealers against oral pathogens associated with failed root canal treatments
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Overview: Residual pathogens lead to treatment failure. Microbes like Enterococcus faecalis , Candida albicans , and Actinomyces israelii are often isolated after failed root canal therapy. Therefore, the antimicrobial efficacy of sealers is critical for treatment outcomes. Aim: To evaluate the antimicrobial efficacy of endodontic sealers against E. faecalis and C. albicans . Methodology: The agar diffusion test was used to evaluate the antibacterial efficacy of four sealers: MTA Fillapex, Bio-C-Sealer, Sealapex, and Seal-Pex. Each microorganism’s bacterial suspension was added to agar plates separately. The sterile discs were then placed on the plates; later, a freshly mixed sealer was coated on the sterile discs. After 24 h of incubation, inhibition zones were measured. Results: The Kruskal–Wallis test was used to analyze the data, and the Mann–Whitney U -test was used for post hoc pairwise comparison. The results demonstrated that Seal-Pex has potent antibacterial activity against E. faecalis (P < 0.05). Against C. albicans, both MTA Fillapex and Seal-Pex were effective, with MTA Fillapex showing a statistically significant difference compared to Bio-C Sealer and Sealapex. Conclusion: Seal-Pex, an epoxy resin-based sealer, exhibited a significant antimicrobial efficacy against E. faecalis . Conversely, MTA Fillapex demonstrated notable antifungal activity against C. albicans , surpassing other tested sealers. These findings highlight the differential antimicrobial and antifungal properties of the sealers.
Authors: Ajay Chhabra, K. P. Ramya, B. Saravana Prathap, Mallika Sengupta, Aditya Kundu, Priyanka Yadav, Sona J. Parvathy
Institution: All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Kalyani
Language: English
Subfield: Oral Surgery
Field: Dentistry
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W4408089567