title: Calcium hydroxide retention in wide root canals with flaring apices.
abstract: Calcium hydroxide (CH) is used to induce apexification in immature, pulpless teeth with wide root canals and flaring apices. Three placement methods of CH were compared in vitro, for their ability to enhance CH retention in the canal. Barium sulfate (BS), added as radiopacifier, was studied for its effects on the radiographic follow up of CH retention, as well as on the ability to detect voids in the CH. Calcium hydroxide filled teeth were kept in phosphate buffered saline-containing tubes in a shaker water bath. Radiographs were taken weekly to follow the retention or loss of the material; they were scanned and stored as digitized images. Quantitative evaluations were done on these images, using a computerized gray scale. Condensed CH was better retained in root canals than either lentulo-placed paste or commercial injected paste. Barium sulfate in the CH paste enabled better detection of voids in the paste filling the canal, however, it obscured the disappearance of CH from the canal, due to a residual radiopacity effect. The results supported (a) condensation of calcium hydroxide as a preferred method that improves its retention in wide root canals, and (b) discontinuing the use of barium sulfate as a radiopacifier in apexification procedures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Restorative Dentistry, Goldschleger School of Dental Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel. metzger@post.tau.ac.il
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Metzger
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Solomonov
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mass
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001466:Barium Sulfate; D002021:Buffers; D002126:Calcium Hydroxide / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003287:Contrast Media; D003786:Dental Pulp Cavity / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D010710:Phosphates; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement; D012387:Root Canal Filling Materials / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013499:Surface Properties; D019227:Tooth Apex / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D002021:Buffers; D003287:Contrast Media; D010710:Phosphates; D012387:Root Canal Filling Materials; D001466:Barium Sulfate; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D002126:Calcium Hydroxide