Objective: Calcium hydroxide, Ca(OH)(2), is a common intracanal medicament. Ca(OH)(2) powder can be mixed with different vehicles and used as a paste for temporary intracanal treatment. The vehicle may influence the dissociation of calcium hydroxide into ions. We sought to evaluate the level of pH and to quantitatively estimate the release of proteins, hydroxyproline, and phosphorus from pieces of radicular dentin kept in different Ca(OH)(2) solutions.
Study design: Twenty-eight extracted incisors were maintained for 35 days in Ca(OH)(2) aqueous solutions prepared in chlorhexidine digluconate, propylene glycol (PG), anesthetic solution, camphorated monochlorophenol (CMCP), and CMCP-PG. The control solution contained Ca(OH)(2) without vehicle.
Results: The pH values changed little during the experiment. The concentrations of proteins, hydroxyproline, and phosphorus rose for all the solutions under study. Statistical analysis of the data from the control and the experimental groups revealed an increase in the concentration of proteins when chlorhexidine, anesthetic solution, and PG were used; a rise in hydroxyproline levels when CMCP-PG, CMCP, and PG solutions were used; and an increase in phosphorus when PG and chlorhexidine vehicles were used.
Conclusion: The test solutions with the root dentin remained alkaline. A release of proteins, hydroxyproline, and phosphorus was observed.