# An Assessment of the Antibacterial Efficacy of the GentleWave System in Comparison to Other Endodontic Irrigation Systems: A Systematic Review

**Authors:** Eliza Tolley, Morgan Ziola, Dexter Gross, Meaghan Mannix, Darcy Sayre, João Martins de Mello Neto, Rodrigo R. Amaral

PMC · DOI: 10.1002/cre2.70268 · Clinical and Experimental Dental Research · 2026-02-26

## TL;DR

This review compares the antibacterial effectiveness of the GentleWave system to other methods used in root canal treatments and finds it to be promising.

## Contribution

The study provides a systematic review of the antibacterial efficacy of the GentleWave system in endodontic treatment.

## Key findings

- Five studies showed the GentleWave system significantly reduces microbial counts.
- Four of the included studies had a low risk of bias.
- GentleWave may offer superior antibacterial efficacy compared to other irrigation systems.

## Abstract

This systematic review evaluated the antibacterial efficacy of the GentleWave system compared with other endodontic irrigation systems.

A comprehensive literature search was conducted across multiple databases (PubMed, MEDLINE, Web of Science, Scopus). The eligibility criteria were formulated using the PICOS framework, focusing on the antibacterial efficacy of the GentleWave system compared to other irrigation methods. A total of 2327 articles were screened, with five meeting the selection criteria for inclusion. Four studies were conducted in vitro, one in ex vivo, and various tooth types were tested. A bias assessment was conducted using the QUIN tool.

Four studies had a low risk of bias, with one study scoring medium risk. All concluded that the GentleWave system significantly reduced microbial counts.

Emerging evidence suggests that GentleWave may provide superior antibacterial efficacy in root canal therapy, making it a compelling option. However, further research is needed to confirm its benefits and promote broader adoption.

## Full-text entities

- **Diseases:** endodontic infection (MESH:D011671), Apical periodontitis (MESH:D010485), inflammation (MESH:D007249), pulpal necrosis (MESH:D003784), infectious disease (MESH:D003141), infection (MESH:D007239)
- **Chemicals:** oxygen (MESH:D010100), saline (MESH:D012965), sodium azide (MESH:D019810), water (MESH:D014867), EDTA.Total (-), polymer (MESH:D011108), sodium thiosulfate (MESH:C017717), NaOCl (MESH:D012973), LTA (MESH:C009900), EDTA (MESH:D004492), thymol (MESH:D013943)
- **Species:** Campylobacter (genus) [taxon 194], Enterococcus faecalis (species) [taxon 1351], Veillonella (genus) [taxon 29465], Streptococcus (genus) [taxon 1301], Parvimonas (genus) [taxon 543311], Homo sapiens (human, species) [taxon 9606], Fusobacterium (genus) [taxon 848], Bacteria Latreille et al. 1825 (Bacteria stick insect, genus) [taxon 629395], Prevotella (genus) [taxon 838], Eubacterium (genus) [taxon 1730]

## Full text

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## Figures

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## References

25 references — full list in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12944734/full.md

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Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12944734