Impact of various irrigating agents on root fracture: An in vitro study

Abstract

Introduction: Irrigating solutions are used for cleaning and removing dentinal debris, and the other remains from pulpal space during biomechanical preparation. Therefore, we evaluated the impact of various irrigating agents on root fracture at 5-minute time exposure. Materials and methods: We sectioned 60 permanent maxillary premolars with fully formed root structures transversely maintaining the root length of approximately 14 mm. Five study groups were made comprising ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), cetrimide, citric acid, and so on as various irrigating agents. A universal force test machine was used to calculate the force which was enough to fracture each root. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) test was used to access the level of significance. Results: About 10% citric acid solution as an irrigating agent showed minimal fracture opposing results, whereas 10% EDTA solution showed the maximum fracture resistance of root portion. Clinical significance: Selection of suitable EDTA concentration that has minimal adverse effect on the mechanical properties of the tooth is very important for the successful management of tooth fracture. Conclusion: About 10% EDTA provided the highest fracture resistance, necessitating the use of irrigating solution in root canal therapy (RCT). Further research with higher and different study groups is required to search for more efficient irrigating solution to improve the outcome of RCT.