Superior Antibacterial Efficacy of Calcium Hydroxide–Propolis Paste against Enterococcus faecalis in Infected Root Canals: A Randomized Controlled In Vitro Study

Enterococcus faecalis plays a major role in root canal infections. This investigation sought to compare the ability of two intracanal pastes—one containing calcium hydroxide with saline and the other containing calcium hydroxide with propolis—to eradicate E. faecalis from contaminated canals. Twenty extracted first premolars with single roots and single canals were randomly divided into two groups of 10 teeth. Each canal was inoculated with a prepared bacterial suspension grown aerobically at 37 °C for 7 days. Following infection, canals were irrigated using NaOCl. Group 1 received a dressing of calcium hydroxide + saline, whereas Group 2 received calcium hydroxide + propolis. Specimens were then incubated in a humid environment for another 7 days. Colony-forming units were recorded at three time points: T0 (post inoculation), T1 (after NaOCl irrigation), and T2 (after application of the paste). A T-test was used for statistical evaluation, with significance set at P ≤ 0.05.