Publication:

Persistence of bacteria and its role in endodontic treatment failure

Bacterial persistence has been reported to play critical roles in endodontic treatment failure, which attribute to deficient root canal filling and inadequate chemomechanical preparation. The persistence of bacteria to the different eradication approaches during endodontic treatment has been an area of interest in the field of dentistry due to the different roles by which these bacteria might impact endodontic treatment and can even lead to treatment failure. The present investigation provides evidence regarding the persistence of bacteria and its role in the failure of endodontic treatment. At first, we provided an overview of the potential role that bacterial infections might play in endodontic treatment and how the outcomes can be potentially impacted. Then, we discussed the virulence factors that help the different organisms to persist against the different eradication approaches, which can finally lead to the development of endodontic treatment failure. Our findings show that E. faecalis is the most prevalent bacteria causing endodontic treatment failure. However, many studies have reported that other bacteria and pathogens might also be prevalent and exceed the rate of E. faecalis. This indicates the importance of detecting appropriate biofilms to adequately eradicate the underlying pathogens and enhance the treatment and prognostic outcomes.