Effect of cleansers and irrigation methods on primary root dentin permeability

Area of Science:

• Endodontics
• Dental materials science
• Dentin permeability

Background:

• Dentin permeability is crucial for root canal treatments.
• Understanding the impact of irrigants and irrigation techniques on dentin is essential for effective primary tooth endodontics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate how different cleansers and irrigation methods affect the permeability index (PI) in primary root dentin.

Main Methods:

• 112 primary teeth roots were treated with four cleansers: Dakin (D), Dakin+hydrogen peroxide (DHP), 2% chlorhexidine gel (C), and saline (S).
• Root canals were instrumented and irrigated manually (MI) or ultrasonically (UI).
• Dye penetration was measured in cervical, middle, and apical thirds to determine the permeability index (PI).

Main Results:

• Manual irrigation (MI) consistently showed a higher PI than ultrasonic irrigation (UI) across all root thirds.
• Specific cleanser and irrigation combinations yielded the highest PIs: MI with D, DHP, and S in the cervical third; MI with D and DHP in the middle third; and MI with D in the apical third.
• No significant differences in PI were observed for UI and cleanser associations in the middle and apical thirds.

Conclusions:

• Manual irrigation (MI) is more effective than ultrasonic irrigation (UI) for maintaining dentin permeability in primary teeth.
• The cleansers Dakin (D), Dakin+hydrogen peroxide (DHP), and saline (S) demonstrated the highest PIs when used with MI.
• Combining manual irrigation with D, DHP, or S cleansers is recommended for preserving dentin permeability in primary teeth.