Abstract: Enterococcus faecalis, a Gram-positive bacterium, is the leading cause of refractory periapical periodontitis. Iron is an essential micronutrient for E. faecalis to survive. To obtain iron from its host, E. faecalis has evolved a variety of mechanisms, and it can tolerate high iron concentrations that are toxic to any other bacteria. E. faecalis is able to sense changes in iron levels in the environment and adjust accordingly, enabling it to grow in different host niches and initiate infection, in this review, the mechanism of maintaining iron homeostasis, the effect of iron homeostasis on the pathogenicity of E. faecalis and the research progress of inhibiting E. Faecalis by regulating iron homeostasis were reviewed, to provide theoretical basis for the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases such as periapical periodontitis.

Key words: Enterococcus faecalis, Iron, Iron homeostasis