A study of the dentinal permeability of the pulp chamber floor of human lower molars with separate roots.

The permeability of the dentin of the pulp chamber floor of lower molars with separate roots was studied, after instrumentation of the root canals by manual or ultrasonic techniques. The dentinal permeability was evaluated by the degree of penetration of copper ions in the tissue and quantified by methods used in morphometry. None of the combinations of irrigating solution/instrumentation technique caused an increase in the permeability of dentinal tissue in the pulp chamber region, probably because the dentin is reparative dentin, which is more amorphous and less tubular than primary dentin.