Title:Antimicrobial Therapeutic Strategies for Enterococcus faecalis In Dental
Infections - Past, Present and Future
Volume: 21
Issue: 3
Author(s): Lokitha R., Namitha Nandakumar, Harish K., Arulmozhi P., Aarthi Jayakumar, Anbarasi K. and Benedict Paul C.*
Affiliation:
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Biomedical Sciences and Technology, Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher
Education and Research, Porur, Chennai, 600116, India
Keywords:
Dental infections, Enterococcus faecalis, antimicrobial agents, antibiotics, chemical irrigants, phytocompounds, essential oils, plant extracts, bacteriophages.
Abstract: Enterococcus faecalis is a common opportunistic pathogen that can infect various
tissues in the human body and in particular, the oral cavity. It has been implicated in periodontal
disease, oral mucosal lesions in immunocompromised patients, peri-implantitis, peri-radicular
abscesses, and root canal infections. They are also most prevalent in secondary endodontic
infections and are recognized as treatment-resistant bacteria in the root canal. Virulence factors
help in this pathogenicity as some factors aid its adherence to the surface. It has become a
research focus in recent times for its resistance to various antibiotics like vancomycin and so,
the search for alternative therapeutic approaches has also evolved. Although various chemical
irrigants such as sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl), chlorhexidine (CHX), iodine potassium iodide
(IKI), calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2) and chlorine dioxide (ClO2) have been used for years, the
use of plant extracts and essential oils have attracted the researchers to explore their activity
against various dental pathogens like E. faecalis. Recently, it has been found that the phages
are more effective in treating biofilm than antibiotics and it has also been observed that they
are effective when used in combination with antibiotics. In this review, we have presented
various treatment strategies that have been in use for treating dental infections and also discussed
future therapeutic approaches, which, may help unfold promising novel strategies.