Assessment of solvents in endodontic retreatment

Abstract

Failure rates in endodontic treatment can vary from 5% to 34%, depending on the type of study conducted. When this occurs, it is necessary to remove the gutta-percha cones. The objective of this study was to compare the dissolving power of currently available substances used during endodontic retreatment, such as eucalyptol, xylene, and orange oil. Twenty-four gutta-percha cones, size 80, were weighed on a precision analytical balance and divided into four groups of six cones each. Saline solution was used as a control. The cones were immersed in 5 ml of the solutions in closed amber glass at 37ºC for 10 minutes each. After the immersion periods, 5 ml of tergentol was added to each container, and they were manually shaken for five seconds. The cones were then filtered through absorbent paper. The fragments were left at room temperature for 48 hours, carefully removed from the filters, and weighed again, comparing the initial and final weights. The results showed that, in the final weight, xylene was the most efficient, followed by orange oil, and lastly, eucalyptol. It was concluded that all solvents were somewhat ineffective, but xylene and orange oil had higher solubility.