title: The use of traditional and novel techniques to determine the hardness and indentation properties of immature radicular dentin treated with antibiotic medicaments followed by ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective was to investigate the effect of intracanal antibiotic medicaments followed by ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) on the indentation properties and hardness of radicular dentin using a BioDent reference point indenter and a traditional microhardness technique, respectively.
  
  
  METHODS
  Specimens with intact root canal dentin surfaces and polished radicular dentin specimens were obtained from immature human premolars. Each type of specimen was randomly assigned (n = 10 per group) and treated with either double antibiotic paste (DAP) for 4-week followed by EDTA for 5 min, triple antibiotic paste (TAP) for 4-week followed by EDTA for 5 min, EDTA for 5 min or Hank's balanced salt solution (control). The BioDent reference point indentor and Vickers microhardness tester were used to measure the indentation properties of root canal surfaces and the hardness of polished dentin specimens, respectively. One-way ANOVA followed by Fisher's protected least significant differences were used for statistical analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both types of radicular dentin treated with antibiotic pastes and/or EDTA had a significant increase in the majority of indentation properties and a significant reduction in hardness compared to the untreated dentin. Furthermore, treatment of dentin with antibiotic pastes and EDTA caused significant increases in indentation properties and a significant reduction in hardness compared to EDTA-treated dentin. However, the RPI technique was not able to significantly differentiate between DAP + EDTA and TAP + EDTA-treated dentin.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Dentin treated with antibiotic medicaments followed by EDTA had a significant increase the indentation properties and significantly reduction in hardness of radicular dentin.
authors.affiliation: Department of Restorative Dentistry, Division of Dental Biomaterials, Indiana University School of Dentistry, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.
authors.forename: Ghaeth H
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Yassen
authors.affiliation: Department of Restorative Dentistry, Division of Dental Biomaterials, Indiana University School of Dentistry, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.|Department of Restorative Dentistry, Division of Operative Dentistry, King Saud University, Riyadh, KSA.
authors.forename: Sarah S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Al-Angari
authors.affiliation: Department of Restorative Dentistry, Division of Dental Biomaterials, Indiana University School of Dentistry, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.
authors.forename: Jeffrey A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Platt
keywords: Double antibiotic paste; endodontic regeneration; ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid; reference point indentation; triple antibiotic paste