Dental Practice and Oral Health

Aim: The main objective of root canal treatment is to disinfect the entire root canal system and irrigation is an important step in reducing the bacterial load from the root canal system. However, irrigants currently used in the field of endodontic have their share of limitations, the search for an ideal root canal irrigants continues. The use of herbal extracts as endodontic irritants is today gaining popularity. This study is to evaluate and compare the antimicrobial potential of herbal extracts such as neem (Azadirachta indica), triphala (Terminalia chebula), green tea (Camellia sinensis) and combination of neem and triphala as endodontic irrigants against Enterococcus faecalis.

Materials & Methods: Freshly prepared extracts of neem, triphala, green tea and 2% chlorhexidine were used to assess the antimicrobial efficiency against Enterococcus faecalis using the agar well diffusion test. Agar plates were incubated at 37 oC for 24 hours in an incubator. The diameter of bacterial inhibition zones around each well was recorded to the nearest size in mm. Results: Higher mean zone of inhibition was recorded in chlorhexidine followed by neem extract combination of neem and triphala than triphala and green tea extract, respectively. The lowest mean zone of inhibition was found in green tea extract.

Conclusion: From the present study, it can be concluded that neem leaf extract shows comparable zones of inhibition with that

of chlorhexidine and combination of neem and triphala.