Investigation of the effect of different irrigation agents on root dentin erosion in a time-dependent manner

Aim The goal of endodontic treatment is to clean the root canal system of organic and inorganic residues, eliminate microorganisms and their by-products, and prepare and fill them in a three-dimensional leakproof manner. As a result, various shaping methods and irrigation agents are employed. However, more than one irrigant is usually required to remove the debris and tissue residues formed by shaping from the complex root canal system without damaging the dentin surface. It is not possible, in irrigation agent selection, to provide the ideal properties sought with a single solution. Thus, many solutions have been investigated and put into use in endodontics. The chelating agent Ethylenediaminetetraaceticacid (EDTA), which is used as the final irrigation solution owing to its inorganic tissue-dissolving effect, has been shown as the gold standard in endodontics for many years. Together with that, when hitches like its low antimicrobial effect, limitation of its effect in combination with NaOCl, and its potential to cause erosion in root dentin in more than 1-minute use are considered, researchers have sought in their studies an alternative chelator to EDTA in endodontic treatment for many years. This study aims to compare the amount of erosion that can take place depending on the contact time of 1 and 3 minutes on the dentin surface using different irrigation agents. Material and Method Seventy human mandibular premolar teeth with a single root, single canal and single apical foramen that were extracted for orthodontic or periodontal reasons were used in this study. The crowns of the teeth were cut and separated 15 mm from the enamel-cementum border to the root tip under water cooling with the help of an aerator to standardize the root length. Root canals were expanded up to the Reciproc R25 file. The teeth were randomly selected and divided into three main groups (n:20) with the final irrigation agent 17% EDTA, 18% Etidronic acid (EA), and 10% Glycolic acid (GA), and a control group (n:10). These three solutions were divided into two subgroups (n:10) and activated for 1 and 3 minutes with a sonic activation device, VDW EDDY (VDW Gmbh, Münih,Germany). Samples kept in distilled water after irrigation was divided buccolingually. The amount of erosion in the coronal, middle, and apical regions of the roots was examined under Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) at x2000 magnification. Evaluation of the samples was made according to the triple scoring system. Result The use of Shapiro Wilk's was made because of the number of units while investigating the normal distribution of the variables. While interpreting the results, p<0.05 was used as the level of significance. The Kruskal Wallis test was used to compare the dentin erosion score in accordance with the regions and groups, and multiple comparisons were examined with Dunn's test. Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare dentin erosion scores according to subgroups. When the duration of 1 and 3 minutes were examined in all experimental groups, no statistically significant difference between EDTA, EA, and GA groups in both periods (p>0.05) was found. Conclusions In this study, in which dentin erosion was examined, it is sufficient to apply EA, GA, and EDTA for 1 minute as irrigation agents in the root canals. All three solutions can be alternatives to each other in clinical applications.