The Efficicency of Citric acid as Root Canal Irrigant using Ultrasonics

Abstract

  The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect the citric acid solution as a root canal irrigant by using ultrasonics.

  Extracted human single rooted teeth were instrumented using K-file, size #10～60 with NaOCl. The outside of the apical third of the roots were covered with utility wax to prevent irrigation through the apical foramens. After that, the teeth were randomly assigned into 6 groups. And the teeth were placed in a plaster blocks.

  Group 1 was irrigated by 1 Mol. citric acid for 30 and 60 seconds. Group 2 was irrigated by 0.5mol. E.D.T.A. for the same period of time. Groups 3 and 4 were irrigated by ultrasound (ENAC 6) with 1Mol. citric acid (group 3) and 0.5Mol. E.D.T.A. (group 4) respectivily. In groups 5 and 6. root canals were irrigated by the ultrasound (ENAC 6), while using ultrasonic vibration (Suprasson P3) from outside of teeth, with 1Mol. citric acid (group 5) and 0.5Mol. E.D.T.A. (group 6) respectively.

  The control using distilled water was also provided to all groups. After the final irrigation, the teeth were dried and sectioned horizontally Partitionuol into three at the junction of the apical and middle thirds. Then the apical third was transversely partitioned. The apical third was mounted onto a brass stub and given a minimum thickness gold coating and viewed in S.E.M. The results showed that dental tubes of the group 5 were more evidently seen than other groups. It was thought that using ultrasonics from inside and outside of the tooth produced much cleaner canal walls and activated citric acid irrigation ability of the smear layer.