Dr. Luciano Giardino

Using ultrasonic devices in endodontics can enhance the antibacterial and tissue dissolving ability of different root canal irrigants such as sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) which is the most common irrigant with excellent antibacterial and tissue dissolving abilities. However, due to its high surface tension, its penetration into the irregularities of the root canal system is a challenge. The purpose of this paper was to review the different ultrasonic devices, different types of ultrasonic irrigation, the effect(s) of ultrasonic activation on the antibacterial and biofilm-removal abilities of NaOCl as well as the effect of ultrasonic activation on the smear layer removal ability of NaOCl.

1 January 2013 in Biomedical Journal

Journal Article

Microbial Biofilms in Endodontic Infections: An Update Review

Zahed Mohammadi

Luciano Giardino

Flavio Palazzi

Sousan Shalavi

Biofilms and microbial aggregates are the common mechanisms for the survival of bacteria in nature. In other words, the ability to form biofilms has been regarded as a virulence factor. Microbial biofilms play an essential role in several infectious diseases such as pulp and periradicular pathosis. The aim of this article was to review the adaptation mechanisms of biofilms, their roles in pulpal and periapical pathosis, factors influencing biofilm formation, mechanisms of their antimicrobial resistance, models developed to create biofilms, observation techniques of endodontic biofilms, and the effects of root canal irrigants and medicaments as well as lasers on endodontic biofilms. The search was performed from 1982 to December 2010, and was limited to papers in English language. The keywords searched on Medline were "biofilms and endodontics," "biofilms and root canal irrigation," "biofilms and intra-canal medicament," and "biofilms and lasers." The reference section of each article was manually searched to find other suitable sources of information.

About Me

Luciano Giardino, MD, DDS (ORCID 0000-0003-2970-6683), graduated from the Faculty of Medicine La Sapienza Roma in 1984. He has published over 120 articles in indexed national and international journals related to endodontic and periodontal histology and microbiology, and root canal disinfection. He has been a speaker in over 100 national and international congresses on topics of endodontic and periodontal histology and microbiology, and root canal disinfection. He was a visiting scientist researcher at the Department of Endodontology UConn University, Farmington, in 1988, and a visiting scientist at the Department of Microbiology and Virology Cotugno Hospital Naples in 1992. He is a member of the Italian Society of Endodontics, European Society of Endodontics, IADR, and New York Academy of Sciences; an assistant professor CLOPD at the Chair of Periodontology at the University of Brescia 2002-2008; a lecturer on the histopathological aspects of periodontal disease at Integrative Periodontology I; and an assistant professor on the CLOPD Chair of Endodontics at the University of Turin 2000-2011. He currently collaborates with Italian and foreign universities as a guest scientist researcher.

Dr. Luciano Giardino

Dr. Luciano Giardino

Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

Publication Type Breakdown

Representative Publications

About Me