Antibacterial efficacy of silver diamine fluoride as a root canal irrigant

Abstract Objectives Conventional disinfectants and medicaments have not been able to achieve and maintain sterilization of root canals. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the antibacterial efficacy of 3.8% silver diamine fluoride (SDF) in comparison with 2% chlorhexidine (CHX) against Enterococcus faecalis biofilm. Materials and methods Extracted human teeth were used to make 70 dentin discs that were then inoculated with E. faecalis to generate a 3‐week‐old biofilm model. The discs were subjected to treatment with 3.8% SDF, 2% CHX, sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl), or saline for 10 min. After exposure, the dentin discs were examined with a confocal laser scanning microscope to verify the percentage of live versus dead cells within the biofilm. Univariate one‐way analysis of variance and Tukey‐honestly significant difference post hoc analysis ( p < .05) were performed to detect significant differences. Results and conclusion The NaOCl group showed the greatest percentage of dead cells (62.26%) among all groups ( p < .05). The SDF group showed a significantly higher percentage of dead cells (57.39%) than the 2% CHX and saline groups ( p < .05). SDF possessed higher antimicrobial activity than 2% CHX against E. faecalis biofilms.