title: Final rinse optimization: influence of different agitation protocols.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study examined the effect of different root canal irrigant agitation protocols in the penetration of an endodontic irrigant into dentinal tubules.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-six human single-rooted teeth were shaped with nickel-titanium instruments, and a final rinse of 5% sodium hypochlorite labeled with 0.2% alizarin red was performed. Specimens were assigned to 7 groups (N = 8) and submitted to the following rinse activation protocols: no agitation (control group), K-File or gutta-percha agitation, or different sonic (EndoActivator [Advanced Endodontics, Santa Barbara, CA] and Plastic Endo, Lincolnshire, IL) and ultrasonic (Satelec [Acteongroup, Merignac, France] and EMS, Nyon, Switzerland) agitations. Specimens were sectioned at 1, 3, and 5 mm from the apex in 1-mm-thick slabs, ground, and prepared for fluorescence microscopy at 100x with a wavelength of 450 milliseconds. Irrigant penetration into dentinal tubules was analyzed by using Kruskal-Wallis analysis of variance followed by post-hoc comparisons.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Groups were ranked in the following order: control = K-file = gutta-percha < EndoActivator = Plastic Endo < Satelec = EMS. At 1 mm from the apex, the highest score was found for the EMS group compared with the control, K-file, gutta-percha, EndoActivator, and Plastic Endo groups, whereas no difference was found with the Satelec group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results support the use of an ultrasonic agitation to increase the effectiveness of the final rinse procedure in the apical third of the canal walls.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endodontics and Restorative Dentistry, University of Siena, Siena, Italy.
authors.forename: Raffaele
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Paragliola
authors.forename: Vittorio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Franco
authors.forename: Cristiano
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fabiani
authors.forename: Annalisa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mazzoni
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Nato
authors.forename: Franklin R
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Tay
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Breschi
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Grandini
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003646:Debridement / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D012388:Root Canal Irrigants / Q000737:chemistry*; D018915:Root Canal Preparation / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D016369:Smear Layer; D007507:Therapeutic Irrigation / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D014465:Ultrasonics
chemical_list: D012388:Root Canal Irrigants