Endodontic therapy associated with calcium hydroxide as an intracanal dressing: microbiologic evaluation by the checkerboard DNA-DNA hybridization technique.

This study evaluated the predominant microbiota of infected necrotic pulps and the effects of calcium hydroxide therapy on these microorganisms by the checkerboard DNA-DNA hybridization technique. Conventional endodontic therapy associated with calcium hydroxide as intracanal dressing was performed in 12 single-rooted teeth with pulp necrosis and periradicular bone lesion. Samples were collected from the canal at baseline and 14 days after therapy, and the presence of 44 bacterial species was determined by the checkerboard method. Significant differences in the microbiota from baseline to post-therapy were sought by the paired-samples t test. The most prevalent species included F. nucleatum ss. vincentii, C. sputigena, C. ochracea, S. constellatus, V. parvula, P. gingivalis, P. melaninogenica, and S. sanguis. Most of the microorganisms were reduced after treatment, particularly A. gerencseriae, A. israelii, A. naeslundii, C. gingivalis, C. ochracea, P. gingivalis, S. noxia, S. sanguis, and S. oralis (p < 0.05). Conversely, A. actinomycetemcomitans, C. sputigena, and E. corrodens increased in numbers after therapy. These results indicate that conventional endodontic therapy with calcium hydroxide results in the reduction of pathogenic species associated with pulp necrosis. However, its use is limited, because it did not eliminate the whole spectrum of microorganisms.