Calcium hydroxide has limited effectiveness in eliminating bacteria from human root canal when assessed by culture techniques
AIM To determine to what extent does calcium hydroxide intracanal medication eliminate bacteria from human root canals , compared with the same canals before medication , as measured by the number of positive cultures , in patients undergoing root canal treatment for apical periodontitis ( teeth with an infected root canal system ) .
Microbiological evaluation of one- and two-visit endodontic treatment of teeth with apical periodontitis: a randomized, clinical trial.
The antimicrobial efficacy of endodontic procedures performed in one-visit ( including a 10-min intraappointment dressing with 5 % iodine-potassium-iodide ) was compared with a two-visit procedure ( including an interappointment dressing with calcium-hydroxide paste ) . Teeth with apical periodontitis ( n = 96 ) were r and omly assigned to either group .  Root canal sampling and culturing  were performed before and immediately after instrumentation , and after medication . Initial sampling demonstrated the presence of microorganisms in 98 % of the teeth . Postinstrumentation sampling showed reduction of cultivable microbiota . Antibacterial dressing further reduced the number of teeth with surviving microbes . In the postmedication sample s , residual microorganisms were recovered in 29 % of the one-visit teeth and in 36 % of the two-visit treated teeth . No statistically significant differences between the groups were discerned . It was concluded that from a microbiological point of view , treatment of teeth with apical periodontitis performed in two appointments was not more effective than the investigated one-visit procedure
Calcium hydroxide has limited effectiveness in eliminating bacteria from human root canal when assessed by culture techniques
AIM To determine to what extent does calcium hydroxide intracanal medication eliminate bacteria from human root canals , compared with the same canals before medication , as measured by the number of positive cultures , in patients undergoing root canal treatment for apical periodontitis ( teeth with an infected root canal system ) .