# Influence of ultrasonic agitation on pH and antibiofilm activity of endodontic sealers – An in vitro study

## TL;DR

This study tested how ultrasonic agitation affects the pH and antibiofilm activity of two dental sealers in a lab setting.

## Contribution

The study introduces new empirical evidence on how ultrasonic agitation impacts the antibiofilm performance of endodontic sealers.

## Key findings

- BioRoot RCS (BCS) had the highest pH at all time points.
- Ultrasonic agitation significantly reduced the pH of BCS at multiple time points.
- BCS showed better antibiofilm activity than AH Plus Jet in both direct and indirect tests.

## Abstract

The influence of ultrasonic agitation (UA) on the pH and antibiofilm activity of AH Plus Jet (AHP) and BioRoot RCS (BCS) sealers was evaluated. Subgroups were created based on the sealer/UA application.

The pH was measured at 30 min., 3, 24, 72, 168 h. Antibiofilm activity was determined by direct and indirect contact tests (DCT/ICT) on dual-species biofilms (Enterococcus faecalis and Streptococcus oralis). Bacterial survival was assessed by colony-forming unit (CFU) counting. The Mann-Whitney test was applied for th pH analysis whereas the Kruskall-Wallis and Dunn tests were employed for the DCT/ICT evaluations.

BCS presented the highest pH at all time points (p<0.05). Related to UA, it significantly reduced the pH at 30 min., 3, 24 and 72 h (p<0.05). In the DCT, a significant reduction in CFUs was observed in the BCS and BCS/UA groups compared to the control and AHP/UA group. BCS also showed the best results in the ICT (p<0.05).

It was concluded that UA reduced pH and did not improve the sealers’ antibiofilm activity. BCS showed the highest pH values and antibiofilm activity.

Key words:Antibiofilm activity, Enterococcus faecalis, Streptococcus oralis, Root canal sealers, Ultrasonic activation.