INFLUENCE OF ADDITION OF SILVER NANOPARTICLES TO ENDODONTIC SEALERS – AN IN VITRO STUDY

Background / Introduction: The main aim of root canal treatment is to significantly eradicate the microorganisms, and achieve hermetic seal. Silver nanoparticles are shown to have positive effect on inhibiting the growth of various oral pathogenic bacteria. Hence present study is designed to evaluate the antimicrobial efficacy of different endodontic sealers incorporated with silver nanoparticles. Aim: To assess and compare the antimicrobial efficacy of four different root canal sealers against E. faecalis. Methodology: Four different commercially available root canal sealers were used in the present study. Aliquots of the suspension containing E. faecalis were spread on Mueller-Hinton agar medium. Freshly mixed sealers and silver nanoparticle incorporated sealers were placed into wells of petri dishes. All plates were incubated for 72 h at 37°C under aerobic conditions, and zones of inhibition were measured at 24, 48, and 72 h. Results: All the four commercial endodontic sealers when used alone and in combination with silver nanoparticles showed antimicrobial activity against E. faecalis. The antimicrobial activity of the sealers at the end of 72 hours is as follows: Zinc Oxide Eugenol >Endomethasone N > Nishika Canal Sealer BG > AH Plus. When the sealers were incorporated with silver nanoparticles, antimicrobial efficacy of AH Plus and Endomethasone N was enhanced. Conclusion: Incorporation of silver nanoparticles had positive effect on antimicrobial efficacy of sealers, especially AH Plus and Endomethasone N, although the effectiveness of all the root canal sealers against E. faecalis decreased with time.