Comparative Evaluation of Herbal Irrigants on Fracture Resistance of Endodontically Treated Teeth: An In Vitro Study

Aims and background: This study was designed to evaluate and compare the effect of different herbal irrigants on the fracture resistance of endodontically treated teeth.Materials and methods: A total of 30 premolars with one root and one canal were excised near the cementoenamel junction (CEJ).Working length (WL) was established, and canals were prepared with hand ProTaper files under profuse irrigation with 3% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) (60 s) and 0.9% normal saline (60 s).The samples were randomly allocated into three groups (n = 10 each): Group A -0.9% normal saline, group B -20% Allium sativum (garlic), group C -20% Triphala.Each canal was manually irrigated with 9 mL of the assigned solution for a duration of 3 minutes, followed by distilled water, dried, obturated with gutta-percha and AH Plus sealer, and restored with type II glass ionomer cement (GIC) as postendodontic restorative material.After 24-hour incubation, the specimens were mounted in acrylic blocks lined with polyvinyl siloxane.Fracture resistance was then evaluated using a universal testing machine.The collected data were analyzed using ANOVA followed by post hoc Tukey's test. Results:The highest mean fracture resistance was observed in group C (Triphala, 856.50 69.89 N), followed by group B (Allium sativum, 591.60 81.85 N), and the lowest in group A (normal saline, 312.00 64.74 N).Conclusion: Triphala demonstrated the greatest improvement in fracture resistance, followed by Allium sativum, indicating that herbal irrigants could be considered promising substitutes for conventional synthetic agents such as NaOCl and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA).Clinical significance: Triphala can be considered a promising herbal irrigant, as its use resulted in significantly higher fracture resistance of endodontically treated teeth, indicating its potential to preserve dentin integrity better than conventional irrigants.