Natural antibacterial agents, including essential oils, are emerging as potential alternatives for endodontic disinfection due to their lower cytotoxicity compared with conventional irrigants such as sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) and chlorhexidine (CHX). Benefect™ is a proprietary essential oil formulation with broad-spectrum antibacterial properties. This study aimed to evaluate and compare the antibacterial effectiveness of Benefect™ with 6% NaOCl and 2% CHX against several endodontic pathogens. One hundred extracted human permanent single-canal teeth were decoronated, instrumented, and sterilized. The samples were subsequently inoculated with Streptococcus mutans, Enterococcus faecalis, Actinomyces naeslundii, or Porphyromonas gingivalis for 6–24 hours. The teeth were randomly assigned into four groups based on the irrigant used. Each sample was exposed to the respective irrigant for 12 minutes. Antibacterial efficacy was determined by quantifying viable bacteria relative to saline-treated controls. Statistical comparisons were performed using Student’s t-test.
Treatment with NaOCl, CHX, or Benefect™ resulted in complete elimination of S. mutans (>99.9% reduction) compared with saline. Similarly, all tested irrigants achieved at least 99% bacterial reduction for E. faecalis, A. naeslundii, and P. gingivalis. No significant differences in antibacterial activity were observed among the three irrigants. Benefect™ botanical disinfectant demonstrates antibacterial efficacy comparable to 6% NaOCl and 2% CHX against S. mutans, E. faecalis, A. naeslundii, and P. gingivalis, suggesting its potential as a less toxic alternative for endodontic irrigation.
