Objective: To compare the amount of apically extruded bacteria between hand-filed preparations, rotary and reciprocation glide path preparations in curved canals of extracted teeth infected with Enterococcus faecalis.
Methods: Forty mandibular first molar teeth were decoronated, fitted into rubber stoppers and fixed onto glass vials. The mesiobuccal canals from mandibular first molar teeth were infected with Enterococcus faecalis, then randomly assigned to one of five groups for glide path preparation: manual stainless-steel file (K-files), rotary file (One G), reciprocating file (WaveOne Gold Glider) and two control groups. After glide path preparation, 0.01 mL of saline was taken from the experimental vials. The solution was plated on tryptic soy agar and colonies of bacteria were counted as colony-forming units. The results were analysed statistically using Kruskal-Wallis and post hoc Mann-Whitney U tests.
Results: The manual K-file group was associated with significantly more bacteria extrusion compared to the rotary and reciprocating groups (P<0.05). However, no significant difference occurred between rotary and reciprocation instruments.
Conclusion: All instrumentation techniques resulted in a measurable amount of apical extrusion of bacteria. Manual K-files extruded the highest quantity of bacteria compared to One G rotary file and WaveOne Gold Glider reciprocation file during glide path preparation. (EEJ-2020-06-148)