Comparison of the biocidal efficacy of sodium dichloro-iso-cyanurate, double antibiotic pastes and calcium hydroxide as intra-canal medicaments for regenerative endodontic therapy: an ex-vivo study

This study aimed to determine the antibacterial efficacy of sodium dichloro-iso-cyanurate (NaDCC) compared to double antibiotic paste (DAP) and calcium hydroxide (CH) against Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis). The study utilized a sample of forty-four human single-rooted teeth, which were decoronated and chemo-mechanically prepared. E. faecalis was then inoculated into the teeth for four weeks. The samples were randomly divided into four groups, each receiving a different intracanal medicament: DAP ( \(n = 12\) ), NaDCC ( \(n = 12\) ), CH ( \(n = 12\) ), and a control group treated with sterile water ( \(n = 6\) ). After a contact time of 28 days, a sample was taken from each root canal with a paper point. The number of colony-forming units was then calculated, and data analysis was performed using Kruskal Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests. All the medicaments had a significantly higher antibacterial effect than the control group ( \(p-value < 0.05\) ). DAP showed a significantly higher antibacterial effect than NaDCC ( \(p-value < 0.01\) ) and CH ( \(p-value < 0.01\) ). NaDCC showed a significantly higher antibacterial effect than CH ( \(p-value < 0.01\) ). The study’s results indicate that DAP is the most effective medicament against E. faecalis. However, the study also revealed that NaDCC, a relatively novel substance in endodontics, demonstrated a higher antibacterial efficacy than CH. This suggests that NaDCC could be a promising addition to the range of medicaments used in regenerative procedures.