Sonic irrigation for removal of calcium hydroxide in the apical root canal: A micro-CT and light-coupled tracking analysis

Abstract

Objective This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of three sonic irrigation systems for removal of calcium hydroxide dressing from the apical root canal. Materials and methods A total of 96 single-rooted teeth in three categories of root canal curvatures (straight: 0–5°, moderate: 6–20°, and severe: > 20°) were allocated to four groups: conventional needle irrigation, EndoActivator, EQ-S, and Vibringe. The root canals were instrumented using Protaper NEXT and filled with calcium hydroxide. After removal of calcium hydroxide, the remaining volume of calcium hydroxide was measured by micro-CT analysis. Data were compared among root canal curvatures and irrigation systems using the Kruskal-Wallis test and Mann-Whitney test (p Results The volumes of calcium hydroxide remaining in the canals with severe curvature were significantly higher than in those of straight curvature (p Conclusions Sonically activated irrigation systems with a flexible tip can be beneficial for calcium hydroxide intracanal dressing removal in the curved apical canals.