Tubular permeability to calcium hydroxide and to bleaching agents

Recent reports of clinical cases suggest that cervical root resorption may follow bleaching of endodontically treated teeth. Inflammatory root resorption may be arrested by placement of calcium hydroxide into the root canal. The dentinal tubules are assumed to be a possible route of action for both agents. pH Values of the medium surrounding the tooth after placement of bleaching agents and calcium hydroxide within the root canals were determined in this study. Thirty extracted single-rooted human teeth were divided into three equal groups. The pulp cavity of the experimental teeth was filled with either bleaching agents or calcium hydroxide. In the control group it was left empty. Dipping in paraffin sealed the access cavity and the apical foramina and isolated the teeth except at the cervical root surface. The teeth were placed in vials containing distilled water and the pH of the medium was measured after 1 h, 3 days, and 7 days following renewal of the medium. The level of the pH in the first group increased, indicating that the bleaching agents leaked from the root canal to the medium surrounding the teeth. The pH in other two groups did not change noticeably. The results suggest that bleaching agents may leak from the root canal toward the periodontal tissues but calcium hydroxide does not alkalinize the medium surrounding the teeth. Leakage of the bleaching agents through dentin may, therefore, be considered as a possible etiological factor that initiates an inflammatory process around the teeth that may be followed by cervical root resorption.