Comparing the effectiveness of four different agents for disinfecting gutta percha points against Enterococcus faecalis – An in vitro study

This study aimed to evaluate and compare the antimicrobial efficacy of Sodium Hypochlorite (NaOCl), Ethyl Alcohol, Triticum aestivum (Wheat Grass) + Saline, and T. aestivum + Ethyl Alcohol in disinfecting gutta percha (GP) points contaminated with Enterococcus faecalis . Forty-four GP cones were contaminated with E. faecalis and divided into four groups, each treated with one disinfectant for 5 min. Postdisinfection, GP cones were incubated in Brain–Heart Infusion broth and cultured on blood agar plates. Colony-forming units were counted and statistically analyzed using the one-way ANOVA test and post hoc Tukey’s test (P < 0.05). T. aestivum + Ethyl Alcohol showed the highest antimicrobial activity, followed by T. aestivum + Saline and Ethyl Alcohol. NaOCl had the least effectiveness. Statistically significant differences were observed among all groups ( P < 0.05), rejecting the null hypothesis. T. aestivum combined with Ethyl Alcohol is an effective, safer alternative for chairside disinfection of GP cones, outperforming traditional agents such as NaOCl in antimicrobial efficacy against E. faecalis .