Effect of Addition of an Anti-Oxidant in Calcium Hydroxide and Chlorhexidine, When Used in Combination as an Intra-Canal Medicament on Fracture Resistance of Root Dentin, at Two Different Time Intervals: An In-Vitro Study

During endodontic treatment, if intracanal medicaments- calcium hydroxide (CH)& chlorhexidine (CHX) were used for longer periods of time, they reduce the fracture resistance of dentin. Aim- The aim was to analyse the effect of an antioxidant in improving the fracture resistance of root dentin when mixed with CH& CHX at two different time intervals. Methodology- Forty single-rooted extracted human premolars were collected, cleaned and instrumentation was done till ProTaper F2. The canals were irrigated with 3 % NaOCl and samples were divided into two groups. Group 1 - mixture of 1.5 g of CH& 1 ml of 2 % CHX (CH-CHX), group 2 - mixture of 1.5 g of CH, 1 ml of CHX& 1 ml of 5 % LP solution (CH-CHX-LP). After storage period of 1-week and 1-month, middle 8 mm root cylinder was sectioned& tested for fracture resistance. Statistical Analysis was carried out using Student t tests& ANOVA. Results- The mean fracture resistance of Group 1 after 1 week was 489.72& after 1 month was 336.88 while the fracture resistance of Group 2 was 469.02 after 1 week and 409.00 after 1 month (p+less than0.001). Conclusion- Addition of an anti-oxidant in CH-CHX combination maintain the strength and increase the longevity of the endodontically treated teeth.