Research progress on the effect of new disinfection methods on the clearance of Enterococcus faecalis in the root canal

Enterococcus faecalis has been confirmed to be closely related to dental pulp and periapical disease in recent years. Enterococcus faecalis is one of the important bacteria causing persistent or secondary root canal infection and root canal treatment failure. Traditional root canal disinfection drugs such as sodium hypochlorite, chlorhexidine and calcium hydroxide can not completely remove Enterococcus faecalis in the root canal because of the concentration limitation of the drug and the complexity of the root canal system. Therefore, how to effectively resist the Enterococcus faecalis infection in the root canal has become one of the important research directions in the treatment of periodontal pulp periapical disease. In recent years, some new antimicrobial agents and disinfection methods have emerged due to the drug resistance and pathogenicity of Enterococcus faecalis, such as laser, photodynamic, ultrasonic irrigation and ozone therapy. Their combination with traditional root canal irrigation drugs can significantly enhance the ability of traditional drugs to remove Enterococcus faecalis in the root canal. In addition, the emergence of new disinfection methods such as chlorine dioxide, nano-magnesia, superoxidized water and N-acetylcysteine have been shown to have a unique killing effect on Enterococcus faecalis in root canals. At present, most of the new disinfection methods described above are in the in vitro experimental stage, and their stimulation and damage to normal tissue still lack relevant clinical data support; thus, these outcomes need to be further studied.