ABSTRACT
Aim: the aim of this study was to compare the effect of 3 different materials which are normal saline, colloidal gold/charcoal extract and calcium hydroxide on two isolated spices from the dental canal which are enterococcus faecalis and streptococcus mutans.
Methodology: Bacteriologic samples were obtained from the dental canal of total number of 20 teeth with primarily infected pulp immediately after conventional endodontic access were done using sterile paper points, the desired strains were isolated from the samples (a total number of 10 samples of isolated Enterococcus faecalis and 10 samples of isolated Streptococcus mutans) cultured on different media and incubated to be tested for the effect of the three different materials included in this study (gold/charcoal foam, calcium hydroxide and normal saline 0.9%)
Results: When comparing the mean range of bacterial zone of inhibition around both materials, the mean range was higher for colloidal gold/charcoal extract combination than that of calcium hydroxide in both bacteria. The results were significant as suggested by the P value (<0.05).
Conclusion: bacterial inhibition effect of gold/charcoal combination was stronger than the effect of calcium hydroxide with normal saline showing no antibacterial effect.
Keywords: normal saline, charcoal foam, gold foam, enterococcus faecalis, streptococcus mutans, root canal treatment, primary infected canals.