Summary:
Purpose: to examine the microbiological status of root filled teeth.
N= 100 filled teeth with PA lesions and 20 filled teeth without PA lesions. Inclusion: teeth treated > 4 yrs ago, asymptomatic and had filling within 5 mm from the apex.
Materials/Methods:
•The groups of teeth with PA lesions were referred to as Pathology (P) group and the teeth without PA lesions: Technical (T) group.
•The radiographs were examined before retreatment and the size of PA lesions was determined.
•The teeth were accessed and disinfected, GP was removed using GG burs and H files and in some cases chloroform.
•WL established 0.5-1mm from apex if possible and the canals were prepared to apical ISO size 25.
•The bacterial samples were taken using sampling fluid and paper points that was transformed to a transport medium.
•Growth was semi-quantified as very heavy, heavy, moderate, sparse and very sparse on the agar plates
Most highlighted Results:
•In P group à bacteria were recovered in 68% of teeth with 117 strains identified. In most of the cases examined one or two strains were found. •Facultative anaerobic species predominated among these isolates (69% of identified strains).
•Enterococci were the most frequently isolated genera, showing ‘heavy’ or ‘very heavy’ growth in 78% of the Enterococci isolates.
•In T group – bacteria were recovered in 45% of the teeth, yielding 13 microbial strains. Eight of these grew ‘very sparsely.
Clinical significance:
The antibacterial effect intra-canal (CaOH2) medicaments against Enterococcus group is questionable.
