Clinical evaluation of sustained-release metronidazole gel versus metronidazole solution as an intracanal medicament in abscessed primary molars.

AIM: To evaluate the efficacy of metronidazole gel versus metronidazole solution against Enterococcus faecalis in abscessed primary molars. STUDY DESIGN: A clinical trial. METHOD: Twenty pulpally involved non-vital carious human primary mandibular second molars with furcal abscess were randomly allocated into two groups to evaluate the efficacy of metronidazole gel (3% w/v) and metronidazole solution (0.5% w/v) against E. faecalis. Subjects in the first experimental group were subjected to treatment with metronidazole gel (3% w/v) and subjects in the second experimental group were treated with metronidazole solution (0.5% w/v). Two microbial samples (pre-operative and post-operative samples) were obtained from the root canals of each subject from both the groups; sub cultured and efficacy of both the groups were evaluated. RESULTS: Overall percentage reduction of the mean colony forming unit (CFU) count of metronidazole gel (3% w/v) group was 96.39% and metronidazole solution (0.5 % w/v) was 90.90%. Results of intergroup t test of the percentage difference of mean CFU counts between both the groups revealed a statistically highly significant difference, i.e. p value--0.008 (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Metronidazole gel (3% w/v) was more effective than metronidazole solution (0.5% w/v) against E. faecalis.