Effect of intracanal medication with calcium hydroxide and 1% chlorhexidine in endodontic retreatment cases with periapical lesions: an in vivo study.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)(2)) has been widely used as an intracanal medicament for endodontic retreatment, but very few studies used both Ca(OH)(2) and 1% chlorhexidine (CHX) as intracanal medicaments. The purpose of this study was to assess the in vivo effectiveness of a combination of Ca(OH)(2) and 1% CHX as intracanal medicaments in endodontic retreatment cases with periapical lesions.

METHODS

Previous cases of endodontically treated teeth with periapical pathosis in 70 patients (36 men and 34 women, age range 18-60 years) were included. Of these teeth, 59 had received root canal treatment and 11 had been subjected to previous apical surgery, indicating endodontic failure. Following the routine procedures, including canal reshaping and irrigation with 2% CHX, a canal medication material containing Ca(OH)(2) powder and a 1% CHX solution was placed into the root canals. Over a 6-week period, the intracanal medication was periodically changed until the teeth became asymptomatic. Patients were recalled at 3-month intervals for radiographic and clinical examination.

RESULTS

Our clinical and radiographic assessment of retreatment cases showed complete healing in 41 (64%) teeth, incomplete healing in 9 (14%) teeth, and failure in 14 (22%) teeth. For complete healing teeth, the healing time varied from 6 to 36 months. The size of the periapical lesions and previous surgical treatment had no influence on the prognosis.

CONCLUSION

Our results suggest that a combination of Ca(OH)(2) and 1% CHX can be successfully used as intracanal medicament for disinfection in endodontic retreatment cases with periapical lesions.