Evaluation of the antimicrobial efficacy of two combinations of drugs on bacteria taken from infected primary teeth (in vitro).

PURPOSE: Using a combination of metronidazole, ciprofloxacin and minocycline (3Mix) for root canal disinfection of primary teeth is a well-known technique known as the lesion sterilisation and tissue repair therapy. Minocycline has the potential to cause discoloration in treated teeth and the permanent successors. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of a new combination of antibacterial drugs, in which minocycline is replaced with clindamycin.

METHODS

Thirty hopeless primary teeth according to our inclusion criteria were extracted and enrolled. The experiment was conducted in two parts: aerobic and anaerobic, and the efficacy of the two drug combinations, namely the 3Mix and the other mix (metronidazole, ciprofloxacin and clindamycin), for elimination of bacteria isolated from the primary teeth was evaluated and compared. Data were analysed using SPSS 21 via descriptive statistics and Friedman and Wilcoxon tests. Level of significance was considered at 0.05.

RESULTS

Except for minocycline, none of the other antibiotics in the studied concentrations (25, 50 and 100 μg/mL) were able to eliminate all the bacteria. Clindamycin alone was weaker than minocycline, but its combination with metronidazole and ciprofloxacin had the same potency with no significant difference.

CONCLUSIONS

Replacement of minocycline with clindamycin in the 3Mix composition is practical and can be generalised to clinical studies and ultimately to the clinical setting.