Objectives:The study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the combination of two natural extracts in varying ratios for removal of smear layer either alone or supplemented with sonic agitation.Materials and Methods:Fifty extracted single-rooted teeth were collected, disinfected and decoronated below the cementoenamel junction to obtain standardized root length of 10 mm. Root canals were instrumented using rotary files at working length 1 mm short of the apex. Specimens were divided into six groups according to the irrigation protocol as follows: Group A – Distilled water, Group B – 17% ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, Group C – Herbal extracts in 1:1 ratio, Group D – Herbal extracts in 1:1 ratio supplemented with sonic agitation, Group E – Herbal extracts in 2:1 ratio, Group F – Herbal extracts in 2:1 ratio supplemented with sonic agitation. Specimens were longitudinally sectioned and evaluated under scanning electron microscope for smear layer removal efficacy. Obtained scores were statistically analyzed using one-way analysis of variance and post-hoc test.Results:Among all, Group B showed the best results followed by Group F. Remaining other groups showed inferior outcome (P < 0.05).Conclusion:The combination of two extracts in 2:1 ratio was slightly better than 1:1 ratio and the smear layer removal efficacy was further improved when accompanied with sonic agitation.
Aim:Study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of two different pretreatment single oral doses of betamethasone on the incidence of inter-appointment flare up and postoperative discomfort.Materials and Methods:Fifty-four patients aged 18–59 years requiring endodontic treatment were selected and randomly assigned to three groups; single pretreatment oral dose of placebo or betamethasone in two different oral doses of 0.5 mg and 1 mg, respectively. Endodontic therapy was completed in two visits using triple antibiotic paste as intracanal medicament. Patients were given a questionnaire to record their pain at 1, 2, 3, and 7 days after treatment. In the second visit, obturation was done, and the patients were again instructed to record their pain scores after treatment and discharged. The verbal rating scale was used for recording the pain scores. Statistical analysis was done using ANOVA and the Friedman test.Results:0.5 mg betamethasone group showed least mean pain scores among all experimental groups; however, there was no statistically significant difference between any of the groups (P > 0.05).Conclusion:Pretreatment single oral dose of betamethasone is an effective in managing endodontic flare-ups; however, the results were statistically insignificant.
Context:The effect of dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) and maleic acid (MA) when used alone on smear layer has been evaluated with mixed results, but their effect when combined with sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) has not been studied.Aim:To compare the effectiveness of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, MA, and DMSA against the combination of these with NaOCl in the removal of smear layer.Settings and Design:n = 4pq/L2q = 1 − pp = Incident rateL = Allowable errorMethods:One hundred and forty extracted, anterior teeth were radiovisiographically assessed. Access preparation was done; apical patency was established. Cleaning and shaping was accomplished using step-back technique. The specimens were randomly allocated as per the final irrigation protocol. After final irrigation, teeth were prepared for scanning electron microscope analysis, and the middle and apical thirds of radicular dentin were evaluated at ×1000 for evaluation of severity of occlusion of dentinal tubules with smear layer.Statistical Analysis:The data were statistically analyzed using the Student's t-test and kappa test.Results:For combined irrigation, 10% DMSA + NaOCl was significantly better than all other groups both in the middle third and the apical third. It was more effective in the middle third than at apical third.Conclusion:Ten percent DMSA in combination with NaOCl removes the smear layer more effectively at both the middle and apical third.
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