COMPARISON OF THE USE OF SODIUM HYPOCHLORITE AND CHLORHEXIDINE AS AN IRRIGANT SOLUTION IN ENDODONTIC TREATMENT: A REVIEW OF LITERATURE

Abstract

The importance of mechanical and chemical cleaning of the root canal system during endodontic treatment has been repeatedly emphasized. The aim of this study was to evaluate the properties of chlorhexidine as an endodontic irrigant, when compared to sodium hypochlorite, regarding antimicrobial activity, biocompatibility, substantivity, the pulp tissue dissolution, elimination of lipopolysaccharide, smear layer removal and combined use of both solutions, through a survey of the dental literature. The survey was conducted in the databases: PubMed, Portal CAPES Journals SCIELO, BBO, LILACS and BIREME. Keywords used were: chlorhexidine/ clorexidina, root canal irrigant/irrigantes de canal radicular e sodium hypochlorite/hipoclorito de sódio, and as time interval, the articles published from 1981 to 2011. Initially 200 articles were obtained, from which 45 were selected. Both sodium hypochlorite and chlorhexidine have antimicrobial effects. Chlorhexidine, unlike sodium hypochlorite, has biocompatibility and it is not irritating to periapical tissues, besides having substantivity, and a residual antimicrobial effect. Sodium hypochlorite can dissolve organic tissue, perhaps its main advantage over chlorhexidine. Both are unable to inactivate lipopolysaccharide or completely remove the smear layer. The combined use of two irrigantscauses the formation of a precipitate, whose biological effects are not completely known. DESCRIPTORS Chlorhexidine, root canal irrigants, sodium hypochlorite.