Microorganisms: the reason to perform endodontics

Abstract

That we perform Endodontics because there are microorganisms is now beyond doubt. Nevertheless, not only the microorganisms, but also the host response have a profound effect on the progression of the disease. Many papers confirmed the polymicrobial nature of pulpal and periapical diseases of endodontic origin and the efficiency of the chemo-mechanical procedures based on physical and chemical elimination of their etiologic factors, whose principles were first presented as far as 1928 by Hall. Since not only bacterial load may be related to the clinical outcome, but also the bacterial composition of the microbiological canal ecosystem, we aimed at the enumeration of the microorganisms present in the different types of endodontic infections. Although the emerging picture is clearly a complex one, not allowing clear-cut association of bacteria and clinical situation, only the further pursuit of elucidation of the many factors involved (including geographical variability) will ultimately lead to rational treatment solutions.