The comparative effectiveness of various agents in detoxifying diseased root surfaces.

This study evaluated five agents for their ability to detoxify periodontally-involved root surfaces. An ultrasonic scaler was used to remove all visible calculus from a proximal surface of 250 teeth extracted because of advanced periodontal disease. The teeth were then randomly divided into five groups of 50 each. One-half of a proximal surface of each tooth in each group was considered a control and was treated by rubbing the surface continuously for 3 to 5 minutes with cotton pellets soaked in sterile saline. The control area was then removed with a sterile bur, with the grindings for each group of teeth being collected, weighed and stored frozen. The remaining half of the proximal surface of all teeth in each group was treated with one of the following agents: (1) saturated citric acid for 3 minutes; (2) 15% EDTA for 5 minutes; (3) sodium hypochlorite for 5 minutes, followed by a 30-second application of 5% citric acid; (4) sodium hypochlorite alone for 5 minutes; and (5) 2% sodium deoxycholate for 1 m...