(TC31) Development of a Standardized Trans-Well Model Simulating Dentinal Tubules to Evaluate the Antibacterial Efficacy of Endodontic Sealers

1)

Objectives: Effective disinfection of dentinal tubules is essential to prevent bacterial colonization in endodontic treatments. However, variability in disinfection models based on dentinal tubules from biological tissues limits comparability between studies. Trans-Well test offers a standardized approach for evaluating dentinal tubule disinfection.

This study introduces a novel in vitro model to assess the efficacy of various root canal sealers against planktonic and biofilm bacteria that are not in direct contact with the sealer.

2)

Method: A PET Trans-Well system with 0.5 µm pore-size membranes was used to simulate dentinal tubule conditions and assess the antimicrobial efficacy of two types of root canal sealers—a new formulation and a standard one—against bacteria in biofilm and planktonic forms. The experimental setup involved applying each sealer in the presence of either biofilm or planktonic bacteria, with control groups lacking sealer for each bacterial form. Bacterial elimination was monitored spectrophotometrically and through CFU counting over a 30-day period.

3)

Results: Using the Trans-Well system, we observed varying capacities of the different sealers to eliminate bacteria. Spectrophotometric analysis revealed variations in bacterial growth across the endodontic sealer groups. Notably, the new sealer showed better results than the standard sealer, suggesting an indirect antibacterial effect.

4) Conclusion: A standardized Trans-Well test was developed to evaluate the antibacterial potential of endodontic sealers under consistent and comparable conditions, thereby optimizing treatments and enhancing understanding of their interactions with bacterial biofilms. However, the model requires further refinement to fully optimize its effectiveness.