Effects of instrumentation with a chelating agent on the periapical seal of obturated root canals.

Abstract

The effects of a mixture of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), urea peroxide, and Carbowax used in the instrumentation of root canals of extracted teeth before sealing the canals with silver cones or gutta-percha were compared with instrumentation with sodium hypochlorite alone. It was found that instrumentation of the teeth with the EDTA mixture before sealing the canals caused a twofold increase in leakage when measured by the uptake of radioactive iodine. It also was found that teeth filled with silver cones leaked 11 to 13 times more than those filled with gutta-percha.