(TC08) Essential Oils as Endodontic Irrigants

Abstract: To conduct a review of studies in which essential oils were used as endodontic irrigants, these studies assessed the efficacy of essential oils in reducing Enterococcus faecalis and evaluated potential cytotoxicity to surrounding tissues. PubMed searches using the keywords “endodontic irrigant,” “essential oil,” “plant extract,” and “cytotoxicity” were conducted for articles published from 2010 to 2023. Studies showed that numerous essential oils and plant extracts were effective in reducing E. faecalis to levels equal to sodium hypochlorite in vitro. These studies also demonstrated that, in many cases, the essential oil/plant extract irrigant was substantially less cytotoxic to fibroblasts than sodium hypochlorite in vitro. These studies manifest that essential oil endodontic irrigants are potentially safe and effective in root canal therapy, but further in vivo research is necessary.