Calcium hydroxide is used as an intracanal dressing in endodontic treatment. Its high pH is related to its ability to stimulate mineralization, its antibacterial properties, and its ability to dissolve tissue, among other benefits. A study by Teixeira, et al evaluated 2 different methods of placing calcium hydroxide paste in terms of resulting dentin pH levels on the basis of a higher pH being more beneficial. The study involved 120 extracted teeth that were instrumented randomly divided into experimental and control groups. Two different methods of placing the calcium hydroxide dressing were used—paper points or Lentulo spiral—and the teeth were stored for varying periods of time, after which the teeth were cut and the dentin pH of the cervical, middle, and apical thirds of the canal was measured. The study found that the highest pH values were measured on the root canal walls when the calcium hydroxide was placed with a Lentulo spiral. The study concludes that the pH of dentin surfaces is altered by direct contact with calcium hydroxide, and application of the calcium hydroxide into the root canal is most efficient with a Lentulo spiral.
(Source: Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology, Oral Radiology, and Endodontology, Vol. 99, No. 4, 2005)
