Influence of calcium hydroxide intracanal dressings on the prognosis of teeth with endodontically induced periapical lesions.
OBJECTIVE
This prospective clinical study explored the influence of calcium hydroxide as an interappointment dressing on the healing of periapical lesions associated with pulpless teeth that had not been endodontically treated previously. This was achieved by comparing the prognosis after a two-visit root canal treatment with that following a one-visit treatment.


METHODS
Seventy-three patients were recruited having one tooth with an endodontically induced lesion. Of these patients, 67 could be re-examined. Calcium hydroxide was placed in the instrumented root canals of 31 teeth for at least one week and the treatment finished at the second visit. Thirty-six teeth were root canal treated at one visit. The criteria for success were the absence of signs and symptoms indicating an acute phase of periapical periodontitis and radiographically a periodontal ligament space of normal width. Methods for event time analysis were used to evaluate and compare the prognosis of both treatment approaches.


RESULTS
The probability that complete periapical healing will take place increased continuously with the length of the observation period. In both treatment groups the likelihood that the root canal treatment yields a success within an observation time of five years exceeded 90%. A statistically significant difference between the two treatment groups could not be detected.


CONCLUSIONS
From a microbiological perspective, one-visit root canal treatment created favourable environmental conditions for periapical repair similar to the two-visit therapy when calcium hydroxide was used as antimicrobial dressing. One-visit root canal treatment is an acceptable alternative to two-visit treatment for pulpless teeth associated with an endodontically induced lesion.
Weiger
R
R
Department of Conservative Dentistry, School of Dental Medicine, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
Rosendahl
R
R
Löst
C
C
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002126:Calcium Hydroxide / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D019232:Dental Restoration Failure; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009819:Office Visits; D010485:Periapical Periodontitis / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012388:Root Canal Irrigants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012390:Root Canal Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D016019:Survival Analysis; D019553:Tooth, Nonvital / Q000150:complications; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D012388:Root Canal Irrigants; D002126:Calcium Hydroxide