Comparative evaluation of antimicrobial efficacy of 3C antibiotic paste with triple antibiotic paste as root canal filling material for primary teeth: An in-vitro study

Abstract

Root canal infection in primary teeth is polymicrobial in nature. Most resistant micro-organisms, such as E.faecalis survive in chronic infection of the root canal at the periapical area and are difficult to remove by various root canal irrigants. C.albicans has been found in chronic infections of root canals of primary teeth due to its ability to invade dentinal tubules. The multiple bacteria strains which cause endodontic infections, make it difficult to clean root canals with a single effective antibiotic. Hence Triple Antibiotic Paste (TAP) has been previously introduced, consisting of ciprofloxacin, metronidazole, and minocycline. Although this mixture aids in pulp regeneration and has been used to disinfect root canal systems, it is linked to tooth discolouration. The aim of this study is to evaluate and compare the antimicrobial efficacy of a newly formulated 3C antibiotic paste (consisting of Ciprofloxacin, Clindamycin, and Cefaclor) with conventional TAP against E. faecalis and C. albicans. In this in-vitro laboratory study, pure culture of C. albicans and E. faecalis will be grown on Sabouraud’s dextrose agar (SD) agar and Brain heart infusion agar (BHI) agar respectively and will be suspended for 24 hours at 37°C. For comparison of antimicrobial efficacy, the zone of inhibition will be for the 3C antibiotic paste against conventional TAP (control) for E. faecalis and C. albicans, and will be determined using digital calliper in millimetre after every 24 and 72 hours. We hypothesise that the newly formulated 3C paste will have better antimicrobial efficacy when compared with conventional TAP. It is expected that a newly formulated 3C paste will prove to be the successful as root canal filling material for primary teeth.