3D cleaning, a perfected technique: thermal profile assessment of heated NaOCl

Abstract Aim The objective of this research is to evaluate the actual temperature of sodium hypochlorite when heated inside the root canal using two heating techniques. Methodology Four second lower premolars were selected for this study. Five thermocouples K-type for each tooth were used. Each tooth equipped with thermocouples was mounted with Duralay resin into an aluminum tube, and a thermo-controlled heater equipped with and an aluminum block was used to control and maintain the temperature of the tooth environment at 37 °C. 5% of sodium-hypochlorite (NaOCl) was heated according to two methods: extra-oral heating using a kettle and intracanal heating using the System B. and temperature analysis was performed through the SmartView software (Fluke Corporation, Everett, WA, USA). Analysis of variance through the OriginLab Pro7 software (Northampton, MA, USA) at a significance level of 0.05 using the Bonferroni method was performed to compare temperature data. Results The results showed that the pre-heated NaOCl (extra-oral heating) stabilizes within seconds to body temperature. While it was possible to obtain higher temperatures for a longer time, using the intracanal heating technique. Conclusions The advantages of heated NaOCl are numerous. For example, increased antibacterial activity, higher ability to dissolve organic tissue and decrease viscosity. The current study showed that the intracanal heating technology was able to achieve better results.