title: An in vitro scanning electron microscope study to evaluate the efficacy of various root conditioning agents.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of present study was to investigate the scanning electron microscopic alterations produced on scaled and root planed dentin surfaces after application of different etching modalities namely citric acid, tetracycline hydrochloride and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA).
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty specimens of teeth were collected and categorized into four groups. In group 1, control group specimens were treated with normal saline for 3 min, group 2 specimens were treated with citric acid, group 3 specimens were treated with tetracycline hydrochloride for 3 min and group 4 specimens were treated with 15% EDTA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Opening of dentinal tubules was seen in all specimens except for control group that was treated with normal saline. The total number of tubules seen was highest in citric acid group as compared to tetracycline hydrochloride and EDTA Group. The total number of patent tubule opening was highest in citric acid as compared to EDTA and tetracycline. The diameter of patent dentinal tubules in citric acid group was more than EDTA and tetracycline.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study showed that all the three agents were effective in removing the smear layer however number of patent and wider diameter dentinal tubules was seen in vitro best in citric acid than EDTA and then in tetracycline hydrochloride. Hence, citric acid group is more efficient than EDTA and tetracycline HCl group in removing the smear layer and in opening of number of patent dentinal tubules.
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontics, Institute of Dental Sciences, Barelly, India.
authors.forename: Jaishree
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Garg
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthodontics, 21, Corps Dental Unit, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: Rajkumar
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Maurya
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthodontics, Institute of Dental Sciences, Barelly, India.
authors.forename: Ankur
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontics, Sardar Patel Post Graduate Institute of Dental and Medical Sciences, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: Pradeep
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tandon
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontics, Sardar Patel Post Graduate Institute of Dental and Medical Sciences, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: Krishna Kumar
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontics, Sardar Patel Post Graduate Institute of Dental and Medical Sciences, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: Amitabh
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Srivastava
keywords: Citric acid; ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid; root conditioning agents; tetracyline HCl