Comparative Evaluation Of Antibacterial Efficacy Of Two Chewing Sticks Against Enterococcus Faecalis - An In Vitro Study

Background: The use of chewing sticks for maintain oral hygiene is a common ancient practice still followed in parts of South East Asia. Many naturally occurring plants are used for this purpose. However, their actions against specific organisms are not fully established. In this study, the antibacterial efficiency of two chewing sticks commonly used in South India namely neem and banyan against Enterococcus faecalis, the most common oral pathogen responsible for root canal failures. Aim: To compare and evaluate the antibacterial efficacy of chewing sticks against Enterococcus faecalis. Materials and Methods: The neem and banyan twigs were obtained from the local markets and were cut into approximately 15 cm length. They were further sun dried for two days before grounding them into coarse powders.The extracts obtained from the chewing sticks are diluted into aqueous solutions of varied concentrations of 1:5, 1:10 and 1:15 and subjected to Minimum inhibitory concentration evaluation. The zones of inhibition were measured and assessed for its antibacterial activity against Enterococcus faecalis. Result: It was observed that the antimicrobial efficacy of both the extracts increased with their increase in concentration. But the action of neem was more potent than banyan. Conclusion: This study conducted suggests that the naturally occurring components of the chewing sticks can be a good alternative for the currently available root canal irrigants that might not guarantee the success of treatment due to their inability to combat E.faecalis.