The Effect of Ascorbic Acid on the Substantivity of Tetraclean in Sodium Hypochlorite-Treated Bovine Dentin

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to assess the in vitro effect of ascorbic acid on the antibacterial substantivity of Tetraclean in bovine root dentin pretreated with sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl). MATERIALS AND METHODS Eighty dentin tubes prepared from bovine incisor teeth were infected with Enterococcus faecalis for 14 days. The specimens were divided into five groups as follows: Tetraclean; 5.25% NaOCl/Tetraclean; 5.25% NaOCl/ascorbic acid/Tetraclean; infected dentin tubes (positive control); and sterile dentin tubes (negative control). At experimental times of 0, 7, 14, 21 and 28 days, dentin chips were removed from the canals by sequential sterile low-speed round burs with increasing diameters of 025, 027, 029, 031 and 033 ISO sizes, respectively. After culturing, the number of colony-forming units (CFU) was counted. RESULTS In all experimental groups, the number of CFU was minimum in the first cultures and the results obtained were significantly different at any time period (p < 0.05). The Tetraclean group showed the most effective antibacterial action at all five experimental periods (p < 0.05). NaOCl/Tetraclean group showed the least antibacterial activity at all time periods. The NaOCl/ascorbic acid/Tetraclean group showed similar antibacterial substantivity to the Tetraclean group at all time periods (p> 0.05). CONCLUSION Ascorbic acid prevents the decrease of residual antibacterial activity of Tetraclean in dentin samples pretreated with NaOCl.