The effects of different irrigation agents on root canal dentine micro-hardness and surface roughness

Abstract

Aim: Successful endodontic treatments rely on sufficient mechanical preparation and irrigation of the root canal followed by an adequate three-dimensional filling. This study investigated the changes in root dentine micro-hardness and surface roughness upon treatment with different irrigating agents. Methodology: A total of 60 human maxillary incisors and canine teeth were used in this study. The crowns of all teeth were decoronated and roots were divided longitudinally. The samples were separated into three groups prior to irrigation. A 5% NaOCl irrigation agent was applied to the first group, a QMix agent was used for the second group, and a 2% CHX agent was used for the third group. All irrigations were performed for 15 minutes. Following irrigation, microstructural and surface-roughness measurements were taken again from all samples. Results: Micro-hardness was not significantly different between QMix or 5% NaOCl (p>0.05). A significant difference was observed between the QMix- and 2% CHX-treated groups, and between the 5% NaOCl- and QMix-treated groups (p