Efficacy of grapefruit, tangerine, lime, and lemon oils as solvents for softening gutta-percha in root canal retreatment procedures

Jantarat J, Malhotra W, Sutimuntanakul S
Journal of Investigative and Clinical Dentistry, 2013


ABSTRACT:

AIM:
In the present study, we evaluate the efficiency of four kinds of oil as solvents for softening gutta-percha in root canal retreatment procedures. The performance of grapefruit, tangerine, lime, and lemon oils specifically were evaluated and compared to chloroform.

METHODS:
Eighty-four cylinder-shaped glass tubes (5 × 30 mm) were filled with gutta-percha. A total of 0.1 mL solvent was added to the upper part of the glass tubes. After 5 min, the spreader attached to the universal testing machine was moved downward through gutta-percha with header speed of 5 mm/min into a depth of 5 mm. An initial depth of spreader penetration without force produced was recorded in millimeters. The load used to penetrate the spreader into the 5-mm depth was recorded in Newton.

RESULTS:
The results of the surface-dissolving depth and maximum force used to penetrate the spreader to 5 mm revealed that chloroform was significantly the best solvent in softening gutta-percha (P < 0.05), followed by grapefruit oil and tangerine oil, while the least effective solvents were lime oil and lemon oil.

CONCLUSIONS:
Under the conditions of the present study, grapefruit oil and tangerine oil performed best as gutta-perch solvents among four natural oils.

CITATION:

Jantarat J, Malhotra W, Sutimuntanakul S. Efficacy of grapefruit, tangerine, lime, and lemon oils as solvents for softening gutta-percha in root canal retreatment procedures. J Investig Clin Dent. 2013;4(1):60-63.


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