An in vivo Evaluation of Root Canal Filling Materials used in Primary Teeth

Endodontic procedure helps in preservation of a pulpally involved primary tooth by eliminating bacteria and their products and ensures hermetic seal of the root canals with different root canal filling materials so that the primary tooth can complete its function until normal exfoliation can occur without harming the successor or affecting the health of the patient.1 An ideal root canal filling material must possess the necessary properties of being antibacterial, resorbable at the same rate of the root, and harmless to periapical tissues and the developing tooth bud. In addition, it must easily fill the canals, adhere to the walls, should not shrink, must readily resorb if passed beyond the apex, be easily removed if necessary, must be radiopaque, and causes no discoloration of the tooth.1 Since 1930s, zinc oxide-eugenol (ZOE) has been the material of choice, but has certain disadvantages, such as slow resorption, irritation to periapical tissues, necrosis of bone and cementum, and alters the path of eruption of succedaneous tooth.2 It is also reported that ZOE paste, if extruded through the apex during filling procedure, could remain in the apical tissues during the process of physiological root resorption and could take months or even years to resorb.3 The first clinical use of calcium hydroxide as a root canal filling material was probably by Rhoner in 1940. The two most important reasons for using calcium hydroxide as a root canal filling material are stimulation of the periapical tissues to maintain health or promote healing and secondly for its antimicrobial effects.4 Calcium hydroxide being resorbable and biocompatible can be used in primary teeth. However, the rate of resorption of this material from within the canals is faster than the rate of physiologic root resorption.5 1,3,4-6Senior Lecturer, 2Reader 1Department of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry, ITS Dental College, Hospital & Research Centre, Greater Noida Uttar Pradesh. India 2,5Department of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry, Babu Banarasi Das College of Dental Sciences, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India 3Department of Oral Pathology and Microbiology, Shree Bankey Bihari Dental College and Research Centre, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India 4Department of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry Mansarovar Dental College, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India 6Department of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry, KM Shah Dental College and Hospital, Sumandeep Vidyapeeth, Vadodara Gujarat, India