Accidental Extrusion of Sodium Hypochlorite in a Patient Taking Alendronate: A Case Report With an 8-Year Follow-up

Antibiofilm efficacy of plant extracts as root canal irrigants in endodontics: a systematic literature review

Background

To explore the antibiofilm efficacy of plant extracts against in vitro formed single and multispecies endodontic biofilms, in comparison to conventional root canal irrigants.

Methods

PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and EMBASE were searched up to April 2024. Studies investigating the antibiofilm efficacy, of at least one plant extract and one conventional root canal irrigant, against endodontic biofilms were reviewed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement guidelines. Data were extracted, and studies were critically assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute checklist.

Results

Among 78 articles, eight articles met the criteria and were eventually included in this review. One study showed a high risk of bias, six showed a moderate risk of bias, and one showed a low risk. A total of twelve plant extracts were tested for their antibiofilm efficacy against eight different single-species biofilms and one multispecies biofilm. A combination of microscopy methods and culturing techniques was used for the assessment of their efficacies. Plant extracts exhibited either a biofilm disruption and/or inhibition of biofilm formation. Psidium cattleianum extract and Psidium guajava exhibited enhanced efficacy compared to Chlorhexidine and NaOCl, respectively. Allium sativum demonstrated comparable efficacy to NaOCl. Furthermore, the combination of Cymbopogon martinii essential oil and NaOCl was found to be more effective than either alone when tested on a multispecies biofilm. However, the other plant extracts, such as Mikania Sprengel, Salvadora persica, Camellia sinensis, and Vitis vinifera showed efficacy but were still inferior compared to the control group.

Conclusions

Overall, the tested plant extracts demonstrated promising potential for combating in vitro endodontic biofilms. In that context, integrating conventional therapy protocols with plant-inspired treatments may allow effective endodontic biofilm eradication. Hence, future research should focus on optimizing the synergistic combinations of these extracts with NaOCl to maximize the therapeutic outcomes. Heterogeneity amongst the studies prevented a meta-analysis.

The Effectiveness of Three Different Irrigant Activation Methods in the Elimination of Enterococcus faecalis from Root Canals

Background and Objective: Eliminating intracanal Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis) is challenging because of its ability to penetrate deep dentinal tubules and its high resistance to many chemicals. This study evaluated the effectiveness of conventional needle irrigation and three different irrigant activation methods in reducing E. faecalis. Methods: The root canals of extracted teeth were shaped, contaminated with E. faecalis, and incubated for three weeks. They were randomly allocated to four experimental groups of 15 teeth each according to the final irrigation method: group 1, conventional needle irrigation; group 2, passive ultrasonic (PU) irrigation; group 3, XP-endo Finisher (XPF); and group 4, laser-activated (LA) irrigation. Bacterial samples were taken and cultured before and after these final irrigation procedures. The colony-forming units were counted, and the bacterial reduction percentages of each group were calculated. The Kruskal-Wallis and Dunnet tests were used for statistical analysis. Results: All irrigant activation methods were significantly more effective than conventional needle irrigation. Although the LA group generated more negative samples than PU, there was no statistically significant difference between the LA and PU groups. LA was significantly more effective than the XPF, whereas PU and XPF were statistically similar. Conclusions: Within the limitations of this study, the final irrigation with LA and PU showed the best reductive effect on E. faecalis colonies. Considering that the LA group had more negative samples, it may be chosen as an alternative to enhance root canal disinfection, especially in difficult cases.

Sodium hypochlorite accident diagnosis and management: Analysis from the literature and the French pharmacovigilance database

PURPOSE

Sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) is considered as the reference irrigation solution in endodontics. However, NaOCl-related accidents may occur, and non-dentist health professionals might under-recognize this rare adverse effect although it is potentially severe, with possible medical and aesthetic sequelae. We performed a literature review to provide to non-dentist healthcare professionals a large picture of symptoms, management and potential consequences of NaOCl accidents.

METHODS

We queried PubMed and the French Pharmacovigilance database and retrieved 76 cases for analysis (70 from 57 published articles, and six from the database).

RESULTS

The analysis showed that patients were mostly women (79%), aged around of 42 years, undergoing upper jawbone (74%) endodontic procedure. NaOCl concentration ranged from 1% to 10%, with 0.5 to 30 mL injected. Most cases (86%) corresponded to an accidental extrusion beyond the root apex to the periapical tissues, followed by tissular injection by error (8%) and extrusion into the maxillary sinus (3%). Local symptoms always occurred within 24 h, mostly pain (99%), edema (89%) and/or ecchymosis (61%). Complications were mainly neurological (29%), necrotic (22%) and cutaneous (9%). Most of patients (76%) fully recovered after medical management but 18 (24%) required surgical management.

CONCLUSION

Any healthcare professional should be aware of the classical symptomatic triad of NaOCl accident with sudden pain, haemorrhage/ecchymosis and swelling, to start or recommend adequate management. Patients should be reassured, but a close follow-up is necessary to avoid delayed complication.

Research methods assessing sodium hypochlorite cytotoxicity: A scoping review

Sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) cytotoxicity has been assessed using different methodologies, which has led to arbitrary interpretations. This scoping review aimed to discuss the different methodological protocols for assessing NaOCl cytotoxicity. A literature review performed in the PubMed and Embase databases up to July 2023 identified manuscripts reporting NaOCl cytotoxicity. The dataset identified 546 publications, further screened by 2 reviewers. Ninety studies were identified and mined methodologically to collect information on cell type, cytotoxicity assay, NaOCl dilution solutions, presence of fetal bovine serum (FBS), and NaOCl exposure time. The culture medium used in cytotoxicity assays contains buffering substances that neutralize the pH of NaOCl, thus reducing its cytotoxicity, an approach that may lead to bias when solutions with different pH are compared. For short exposure periods, as in simulations to evaluate the contact between irrigant and periapical tissue cells during chemo-mechanical preparation, NaOCl dilution should be performed with saline, which does not buffer the irrigant. For long exposure periods, as in simulations of irrigant extrusions, NaOCl should be diluted in the culture medium, to reproduce the expected buffering effect occurring in extrusions. The presence of FBS in culture medium can decrease NaOCl toxicity. There is no standardization of NaOCl cytotoxicity methodologies. This poses the risk of arriving at incorrect results and, therefore, pertinent tests must be refined.

Sonic-assisted antibacterial photodynamic therapy: a strategy for enhancing lateral canal disinfection

BACKGROUND

Bacterial infections in lateral canals pose challenges for root canal treatment. This in vitro study aims to evaluate the antibacterial efficacy of sonic-assisted methylene blue mediated antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (MB-aPDT) against Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis) in infected lateral canals.

METHODS

Sixty-five premolars infected with E. faecalis in lateral canals were randomly divided into five groups (n = 13) and treated with : (1) 5.25% NaOCl (positive control); (2) Saline (negative control); (3) Sonic-assisted MB-aPDT; (4) 3% NaOCl + MB-aPDT; (5) 3% NaOCl + sonic-assisted MB-aPDT, respectively. The antibacterial efficacy was evaluated by the colony- counting method (CCM) and scanning electronic microscope (SEM).

RESULTS

Both 5.25% NaOCl and the 3% NaOCl + sonic-assisted MB-aPDT exhibited the most effective while comparable antibacterial effects without significant statistical difference (P > 0.05). Furthermore, the antibacterial effect of the 3% NaOCl + MB-aPDT group was significantly higher compared to that of the sonic-assisted MB-aPDT group (P < 0.05). The SEM results demonstrated notable morphological alterations in E. faecalis across all experimental groups, except for the negative control group.

CONCLUSION

The concentration of NaOCl can be reduced to a safe level while preserving its antibacterial efficacy through the synergism with the sonic-assisted MB-aPDT in this study.

Factors influencing the occurrence and progress of sodium hypochlorite accident: A narrative and update review

Sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) is one of the most commonly used irrigant because of its several advantages. However, it is highly cytotoxic and can lead to severe tissue damage. NaOCl accident occurs when it is extruded beyond root confines into periapical or periradicular tissues. It is an irrigant mishap which can be life threatening and/or cause residual or long term or permanent consequences with malpractice and medico-legal implications. There are many factors which can influence the occurrence and progress of NaOCl accident. These factors can be broadly categorized as patient (host)-, tooth-, operator-, and NaOCl-related factors. They can be further categorized as predisposing and extent factors. It is vital for a clinician to thoroughly understand and identify various influencing factors to prevent NaOCl accident with its associated consequences including any potential medico-legal issues. The purpose of this article is to provide a narrative review on various factors which predispose to the occurrence of NaOCl accident and influence its extent and/or outcome.

Cytotoxicity and Efficacy in Debris and Smear Layer Removal of HOCl-Based Irrigating Solution: An In Vitro Study

In the present study we evaluated the cytotoxicity of super-oxidized water on human gingival fibroblasts and its efficacy in debris and smear layer removal from root canal walls. Cultured gingival fibroblasts were exposed to super-oxidized water (Sterilox), which was diluted in Iscove’s modified Dulbecco’s medium (IMDM) at 30%, 40%, 50%, 60% and 70% concentrations. The control group was maintained in IMDM. The cell viability was evaluated by means of an MTT assay after incubation periods of 1 h, 2 h, 24 h and 48 h. Pathological cellular changes were also observed under fluorescence and phase contrast microscopes. The efficacy in debris and smear layer removal was evaluated in comparison to the conventional application of sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA). Forty maxillary premolars were randomly divided into two equal groups (n = 20) and shaped with ProTaper NEXT rotary instruments using Sterilox or NaOCl/EDTA for irrigation. Afterwards, roots were split longitudinally and examined under a scanning electron microscope. The results revealed that super-oxidized water and sterile distilled water have acceptable biological properties for endodontic applications at concentrations up to 50% (p > 0.05). Moreover, super-oxidized water is equally effective in debris and smear layer removal as compared to NaOCl/EDTA (p > 0.05).