[Intermediate medications in endodontics: a quantitative in-vitro evaluation of 2 phenolic derivatives]

In a series of in vitro experiments with dental elements obtained after an extraction, the persistence in the pulpal chamber of two phenolic compounds largely used as dental medicaments has been evaluated. The substances, p-chlorophenol and eugenol were put in a small piece of cotton inside the dental elements where they were left for 7 days. Spectrophotometric UV determination of p-chlorophenol and eugenol were made after 3 and 7 days. Our results indicate that 25% of the initial amount of p-chlorophenol is found after three days and nearly 1/5 after 7 days. The figures for eugenol are: 1/3 after three days and 1/6 of the initial amount after 7 days. The authors therefore suggest the substances under study be used as dental medicaments with an optimum of three days of interval between two medications, even if a longer interval may be observed due to the good in situ persistence of the two phenols.