Physical and Chemical Properties of All-in-One Root Canal Irrigants: A Laboratory Study

Objective This ex vivo study aimed to compare the physical and chemical properties of two all-in-one root canal irrigants-Dual Rinse HEDP (DR HEDP) and Triton-with respect to their soft tissue dissolution efficacy, effect on dentin surface roughness, and demineralization potential. Materials and Methods Forty extracted human single-rooted teeth were used to evaluate soft tissue dissolution and demineralization, while 40 dentin slices from 20 teeth were used for surface roughness analysis. Irrigants tested included DR HEDP, Triton, NaOCl (positive control) alone, and distilled water (negative control). Soft tissue dissolution was assessed using standardized pulp tissue analogs. Calcium ion release was measured via atomic absorption spectrometry to assess demineralization. Surface roughness was analyzed using atomic force microscopy. Statistical analysis included analysis of variance and Tukey's post hoc tests with significance set at p < 0.05. Results DR HEDP and NaOCl alone showed the highest tissue dissolution (36.49 and 35.57%, respectively, p > 0.05), significantly outperforming Triton (29.50%, p < 0.001). Triton exhibited the greatest dentin surface roughness (191.37 nm), significantly higher than DR HEDP (104.25 nm) and NaOCl (101.24 nm) (p < 0.001). Calcium ion release was highest in the Triton group (135.61 mg/L), followed by DR HEDP (49.66 mg/L) and NaOCl (26.06 mg/L), with all intergroup differences being significant (p < 0.001), except between DR HEDP and NaOCl (p > 0.05). Conclusion DR HEDP exhibited superior soft tissue dissolution similar to NaOCl, while causing significantly less dentin surface roughness and demineralization than Triton.