The effect of EDTA-containing surface-active solutions on the morphology of prepared dentin: an in vivo study.

The capacities of EDTA-containing and surface-active antibacterial solutions and their combinations for removing amorphous smear layers produced by cutting of dentin were studied in vivo on 132 human dentin surfaces ground at high speed with a diamond point. A combination of 0.2% EDTA and surface-active antibacterial solutions removed most of the smear layers without opening too many tubule apertures or removing peritubular dentin. No difference was found between the cleaning capacity on surfaces ground under water cooling compared to air cooling.