antifungal activity of endodontic irrigants

introduction: the purpose of this in vitro study was to assess the antifungal activity of final canal rinse with either three concentrations of sodium hypochlorite (naocl) (0.5, 2.6 and 6%), two concentrations of chlorhexidine (chx) (2% and 0.2%), mtad, tetraclean, hypoclean and chlor-xtra on candida albicans (c. albicans ) in a human tooth model. methods and materials: two hundred and thirty five extracted human maxillary central and lateral incisors were used in this study. teeth were randomly divided into nine test groups ( n =25) and positive and a negative control groups ( n =5). after cleaning and shaping, teeth were contaminated with c. albicans and incubated for 72 h. the irrigation solution in nine experimental groups included: 6% naocl, 2.6% naocl, 0.5% naocl, 2% chx, 0.2% chx, mtad, tetraclean, hypoclean and chlor-xtra. after culturing on sabouraud 4% dextrose agar, colony-forming units (cfu) were counted. results: 6% naocl, 2% chx and chlor-xtra were equally effective ( p >0.05) and significantly superior to mtad and tetraclean ( p <0.05). in addition, the effectiveness of tetraclean and mtad was significantly less than hypoclean, naocl at all concentrations (6% 2.6% and 0.5%), mtad and 0.2% chx ( p <0.05). furthermore, tetraclean was significantly more effective than mtad ( p <0.05). conclusion : antifungal activity of 6% naocl, chlor-xtra and 2% chx was significantly greater than 2.6% naocl, 0.5% naocl, mtad, 0.2% chx and tetraclean