Residual Antimicrobial Activity of Camphorated Chlorphenol

¹ School of Dentistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The residual antimicrobial effect of camphorated chlorphenol was studied. It was found that camphorated chlorphenol exerted an antimicrobial effect that could be reduced materially by drying the root canal three times. The antimicrobial activity in the root canal was persistent for 2 or more weeks. In 48 of the 175 cases (27 per cent), residual antimicrobial activity was present, even after the root canal had been dried three times. Culture medium served as a diluent and was likely to have reduced the potential number of cases effecting residual antimicrobial activity.