Effects of sodium hypoclorite as disinfectant material previous to pulpotomies in primary teeth

Sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) can be used to promote healing vital pulpotomies as an antibacterial agent. The aim of the present study was to histologically analyze the pulpal response of human primary teeth pulp following calcium hydroxide (CH) and mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) pulpotomies with and without 5 % NaOCl. One hundred twenty-eight primary molars were randomly divided into two main groups according to pulpotomy material (CH/MTA) and into two subgroups according to selected cleansing agent (NaOCl/physiologic saline) used in the pulpotomy procedure. Thirty-four successfully treated teeth whose successor roots had completed formation of at least two thirds of their lengths were extracted for histological evaluation. Fisher's exact test, Pearson's Chi-square test, and Mann-Whitney U test with Bonferroni correction were used for statistical analysis. No significant differences in any of the tested parameters were observed between the NaOCl and physiologic saline subgroups of either the CH or MTA groups. Pulpal inflammation was significantly higher in the CH-treated teeth as compared with the MTA-treated teeth, whereas hard tissue bridge formation was significantly higher in the MTA-treated teeth as compared with the CH-treated teeth but regardless of cleansing agent (p < 0.025). The use of NaOCl does not affect the success of CH or MTA pulpotomies. Regardless of cleansing agent, MTA was found to be superior to CH. The proper medicament selection is more important than the choice of cleaning agent in vital pulpotomies.