Comparison of the Efficacy of 17% EDTA and 17% EDTA-S as Root Conditioning Agents: An in vitro Study

Objectives: The study’s objective is to assess the capacity of 17% EDTA (ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid) and 17% EDTA-S (sodium lauryl sulphate) on periodontally infected root surfaces as well as their capacity to remove the smear layer. Methods: Groups A (EDTA) and B (EDTA-S) were randomly selected from among 40 single-rooted teeth that had to be extracted due to the mobility. Sections of these teeth were subjected to a 3-minute “Active Burnishing Technique” treatment with 17% EDTA and 17% EDTA-S, followed by a 2-minute saline washing, and then investigated by using an electron microscope. The teeth’s root surface changes were evaluated using Sampaio’s Index, surface morphology, smear layer presence, dentinal tubule patency, and other factors. The results of this study were statistically examined using the paired “t” test. The significance threshold was established at P-value = .05. Results: The outcomes demonstrated that Group B benefited statistically from the elimination of the smear layer and the patency of the dentinal tubules ( P < .01). In the EDTA and EDTA-S groups, there were 85.508.75 and 91.706.20 patent dentinal tubules revealed, respectively. The total surface area exposed by EDTA was 163.88 ± 24.68 and EDTA-S was 182.91 ± 28.16 with a P-value <.01. Conclusion: According to the study’s findings, as compared to EDTA, EDTA-S is more successful at exposing dentinal tubules and removing the smear layer, making it a useful root conditioning agent.