A SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPIC STUDY OF BACTERIAL ATTACHMENT IN DENTINAL TUBULES

상아세관에서 세균부착에 관한 주사전자현미경적 연구

Microorganisms are implicated the endodontic treatment failures. Persistent endodontic infection may be the result of retention of microorganisms in the dentin of the root canal walls. Dentinal tubules of the root canal walls have been shown to harbor microorganisms. The purpose of this study was to investigate the invasion of microorganism into the root dentin and dentinal tubules. The effects of irrigation solutions and smear layer on bacterial colonization of root canal were evaluated using a scanning electron microscopy. Canals of extracted human teeth with single and straight canals were stepback prepared using normal saline. Tooth samples were divided into four groups according to the irrigation solutions -5 % sodium hypochlorite and normal saline-and smear layer treatment. The smear layer was removed by 5% NaOCl and 20% EDTA for 10 min respectively. After sterilization, they were incubated with each strains of Streptococcus sanguis, Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Sodium hypochlorite solution reduced the adhesion of microorganisms effectively compared to normal saline. The smear layer inhibited colonization of E. faecalis, S. aureus and E. coli in the root canals due to their blocking of dentianl tubules. But S. sanguis invaded dentinal tubules in the root canals without smear layer. It was suggested that bacterial attachment might be different according to the strains. Sodium hypochlorite inhibited bacterial attachment in the dentinal tubules dramatically. The absence or presence of smear layer affected bacterial invasion of the dentinal tubules.