This study evaluated the influence of the addition of cetrimide and polypropylene glycol to sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) on its capacity to dissolve pulp tissue. Bovine pulp fragments with standardized weight and volume were immersed for 5, 15 and 30 min in 2 mL of NaOCl and Hypoclean (NaOCl added with cetrimide and polypropylene glycol) solutions at 5.25%, 2.5%, 1%, 0.5% and 0.25% and afterwards re-weighted. Distilled water was used as a control. The percentage of tissue loss was considered for statistical analysis (univariate ANOVA, SPSS, v. 17.0) at 5% significance level. There was no tissue dissolution in the control group. NaOCl added with surfactants (Hypoclean) dissolved more pulp tissue (p<0.05) than NaOCl alone. Tissue dissolution was directly dependent on the concentration of solutions (p<0.05), and also on the time range (p<0.05). The combination of NaOCl at high and low concentrations with the surfactants cetrimide and polypropylene glycol increased significantly its capacity to dissolve pulp tissue.
pulp tissue dissolution; sodium hypochlorite; cetrimide; polypropylene glycol
