Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2014 Mar;15(1):39-43.

Comparison of the antibacterial effect of sodium hypochlorite and aloe vera solutions as root canal irrigants in human extracted teeth contaminated with enterococcus faecalis

S Sahebi  1 , N Khosravifar  2 , M Sedighshamsi  1 , M Motamedifar  3
Affiliations

Comparison of the antibacterial effect of sodium hypochlorite and aloe vera solutions as root canal irrigants in human extracted teeth contaminated with enterococcus faecalis

S Sahebi et al. J Dent (Shiraz). 2014 Mar.

Abstract

Statement of problem: The main purpose of a root canal treatment is to eliminate the bacteria and their products from the pulp space. Sodium hypochlorite has excellent antibacterial properties, but also some negative features.

Purpose: The aim of the present study is to compare the antimicrobial effect of Aloe Vera solution with sodium hypochlorite on E.faecalis in the root canals of human extracted teeth.

Materials and method: Sixty human extracted single rooted teeth were selected for this in vitro study. The teeth recruited in this study had no cracks, internal resorption, external resorption and calcification. Enterococcus faecalis was injected in the root canals of all teeth. The teeth were then divided into three groups randomly. Each group consisted of 20 teeth that were all rinsed with one of the following solutions: sodium hypochlorite 2.5%, Aloe vera and normal saline. Subsequent to rinsing, root canals of all teeth were sampled. The samples were cultured and growth of the bacteria was assessed after 48 hours. The number of colonies of the bacteria was then counted.

Results: The difference between the inhibitory effect of Aloe vera and normal saline on E.faecalis was not significant according to independent t-test (p= 0.966). The inhibitory effect of sodium hypochlorite on E.faecalis was much greater than that of Aloe vera and normal saline (p< 0.001).

Conclusion: Aloe vera solution is not recommended as a root canal irrigator, but future studies are suggested to investigate the antibacterial effect of Aloe vera with longer duration of exposure and as an intra canal medicament.

Keywords: Aloe Vera; Enterococcus faecalis; Root canal irrigants; Sodium hypochlorite.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
a Eppendorf tubes containing TSB solution  b Sampler tool used for both contaminating and sampling of the teeth
Figure 2
Figure 2
a Sampling of the irrigating solution  b Transferring samples to MHA culture plates  c Spreading of the bacteria with the L- shaped tube
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Miller WD. An introduction to the study of the bacterio-pathology of the dentalpulp. Dental Cosmos. 1894; 36: 505–528.
    1. Kakehashi S, Stanley HR, Fitzgerald RJ. The effects of surgical exposures of dental pulps in germfree and conventional laboratory rats. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol. 1965; 20: 340–349. - PubMed
    1. Sundqvist G. Taxonomy, ecology, and pathogenicity of the root canal flora. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol. 1994; 78: 522–530. - PubMed
    1. Love RM. Enterococcus faecalis--a mechanism for its role in endodonticfailure. IntEndod J. 2001; 34: 399–405. - PubMed
    1. Hancock HH, Sigurdsson A, Trope M, Moiseiwitsch J. Bacteria isolated after unsuccessful endodontic treatment in a North American population. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral RadiolEndod. 2001; 91: 579–586. - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources