Abstract
Background: Some missteps during procedures, such as insufficient disinfectant use for root canal disinfection or instrumentation, can fail the endodontic treatment. Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis) can adhere to endodontic cements and root canal walls, forming a resistant biofilm. Thus, it is often isolated from root canals in cases of secondary/persistent infection. We focus to detect the presence of E. faecalis in teeth with untreated root canals using molecular assay. Material and Methods: In this study, 32 samples of untreated root canals were collected from the Dentistry Clinic of the School of Dentistry, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran. The existence of E. faecalis in these samples was detected using multiple methods, such as a Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay based on the 16SrRNA gene and traditional culture. A disk diffusion test (Kirby-Bauer susceptibility test) was used to determine the antimicrobial susceptibility of isolated strains. Result: E. faecalis was detected in six samples (18.75%) by using the culture method, but four of them (66.67%) were confirmed by the PCR method. All E. faecalis isolates were sensitive to Vancomycin, and they showed the highest resistance to ampicillin (100%) and chloramphenicol (83%), respectively. Conclusion: Further research is needed to develop more efficient antimicrobial agents for endodontic treatment use. In addition to finding more effective root drugs, more research is necessary to design more efficient three-dimensional filling systems.