Innovative antimicrobial strategies in endodontics: Comparative evaluation of silver nanoparticles, calcium hydroxide, and nitrofurantoin against Enterococcus faecalis

Aim: The purpose of this in vitro study is to compare the antibacterial efficacy of silver nanoparticles, calcium hydroxide, and nitrofurantoin as intracanal medicaments against Enterococcus faecalis on human tooth substrate. Methods: Sixty extracted single-rooted human premolars were decoronated, and chemomechanical preparation was done. Each sample was inoculated with 10 µL of E. faecalis (ATCC 29212) and incubated for 21 days. The samples were divided into five groups, such as sterile water (Group 1), calcium hydroxide (Group 2), silver nanoparticles (Group 3), calcium hydroxide with silver nanoparticles (Group 4), and nitrofurantoin (Group 5), based on the intracanal medicament applied. Following 24 h incubation, dentin shavings were collected, cultured, and colony-forming units (CFUs) were counted to evaluate the antibacterial efficacy. Results: Nitrofurantoin showed the lowest CFU counts, significantly outperforming all groups except silver nanoparticles, with which the difference was not statistically significant, while sterile water recorded the highest CFU levels. Conclusion: Nitrofurantoin demonstrates the highest antibacterial efficacy against E. faecalis .