Development of a clindamycin-impregnated fiber as an intracanal medicationin endodontic therapy

The effectiveness of traditional endodontic intracanal medications in reduc ing bacterial numbers and preventing acute flare-ups and pain continues to be questioned, In the present study, a new local delivery device was develo ped that releases a substantive dose of clindamycin into root canals. Clind amycin-impregnated ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) fibers were produced, and t he sensitivity of common endodontic microbes to the fibers were established . An in vitro model was developed to persistently infect 32 extracted human teeth with endodontic pathogens to test the efficacy of the clindamycin/EV A fibers in reducing the number of colony-forming units, The clindamycin/EV A fibers were shown to be effective in reducing growth of common endodontic microbes on blood agar plates, and in significantly reducing growth of Pre votella intermedia, Fusobacterium nucleatum, and Streptococcus intermedius in extracted human teeth, thus indicating merit in further exploring the po tential of these fibers as intracanal medications.