Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the antifungal effect of ethylenediamine-tetraacetic acid (EDTA) on Candida albicans, comparing it with that of various disinfectants and common antifungal agents.
Study design: Two clinical oral isolates and 1 standard strain of C albicans were included in this study. Main contents of the test solutions were sodium hypochlorite, EDTA, chlorhexidine, hexetidine, benzalkonium chloride, povidone-iodine, nystatin, and ketoconazole. The agar diffusion method was used to determine the antifungal effects of the solutions. Zones of inhibition were recorded and the results were analyzed statistically by using a 2-way analysis of variance.
Results: EDTA demonstrated the highest antifungal activity in comparison with routine antifungal drugs and all other solutions (P <.0001). Oral cavity isolate was more resistant to the test solutions (P <.0001).
Conclusion: The selection of irrigating and disinfecting solution in root canals of patients with a particularly high incidence of oral candidiasis gains extreme importance. EDTA may be strongly recommended during endodontic therapy of these patients.