The increase in failure of pulpectomies due to re-infection by most common micro-organisms like Enterococcus faecalis and Candida albicans has been noticed in recent years. Thus need for an obturating material or sealer material having a high efficacy against these causative microbes is the need of the hour which can eliminate these microbes even in an event of reinfection after the completion of the root canal treatment in deciduous teeth. AIM: To compare antimicrobial efficacy of Zinc oxide eugenol, Zinc oxide plus thyme oil and Zinc oxide with peppermint oil against Enterococcus Faecalis and Candida Albicans. MATERIALS AND METHODS:This study was conducted on 30 Muller Hinton agar plates which were divided into three groups (n=15). Three wells of 6mm diameter were made by removal of agar at equidistant points and then were filled with the test materials. Both microorganisms were grown at 37℃ for 24hrs in MH Broth. The lawn technique was used for uniform distribution of bacterial dilution. The plates were maintained at room temperature for 2 hours for prediffusion of material and then incubated at 37℃ for 24 hours. After incubation, the diameters of zone of inhibition around the plates were measured in millimeters with the help of Hi Antibiotic zone scale RESULTS: The mean zones of inhibition were highest in for ZoE followed by ZoT and least for ZoP against Enterococcus faecalis. Similarly, ZoE had highest mean zones of inhibition, followed by ZoT and the least was ZoT against Candida albicans. CONCLUSION: The antimicrobial efficacy was highest in ZoE against E faecalis and Candida albicans followed by ZoT but Candida albicans were almost resistant to ZoP and had the least efficacy against E faecalis. All the test materials had better antimicrobial efficacy against Candida albicans compared to E faecalis.

Keywords : ZoT, ZoP and ZoE