Effectiveness of intracanal irrigants and medications against the yeast Candida albicans

An in vitro study was conducted to determine the susceptibility of the yeast Candida albicans to various intracanal irrigants and medications. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of sodium hypochlorite, hydrogen peroxide, chlorhexidine digluconate, and aqueous calcium hydroxide that is required to kill a standardized inoculum of C. albicans was determined. Growth of the yeast was measured by optical density. Sodium hypochlorite, hydrogen peroxide, and chlorhexidine digluconate were effective anticandidal agents with MICs of <10 mug/ml, 234 mug/ml, and <0.63 mug/ml, respectively. Aqueous calcium hydroxide had no activity. A standardized inoculum of C. albicans cells was also placed in direct contact with either calcium hydroxide paste or camphorated para-monochlorophenol (CPMC), and candidal growth was assessed by colony counts on Sabouraud's dextrose agar. Calcium hydroxide paste and CPMC, when maintained in direct contact with C. albicans, were effective antifungal agents.