Abstract
The effects of intracanal medicaments on direct tensile strength (DTS) and Micro-Vickers hardness (Hv) of bovine dentin were investigated. A dumbbell-shaped specimen was cut out from a labial dentin sheet for DTS. Bovine dentin surfaces exposed after cutting the tensile specimen sheet were used for the Hv test. The test specimens immediately after preparation were evaluated as the control. The effects of immersion into physiological saline, modified physiological saline saturating calcium and phosphorus, formocresol, calcium hydroxide paste and eugenol were examined. The DTS after eugenol immersion was significantly higher than that of the control (p<0.01). There were no significant differences between the Hv of the control and that of immersed groups. Thus, immersion into intracanal medicaments influenced the mechanical properties of bovine dentin:in particular,immersion in eugenol influenced the DTS of bovine dentin.
