The objective of this study was to assess coronal discoloration induced by the following intracanal medicaments: calcium hydroxide (CH), a mixture of CH paste and chlorhexidine gel (CH/CHX), and triple antibiotic paste (3Mix).

Seventy extracted single-canal teeth were selected. Access cavities were prepared and each canal was instrumented with a rotary ProTaper system. The specimens were randomly assigned to CH, CH/CHX, and 3Mix paste experimental groups (n = 20 each) or a control group (n = 10). Each experimental group was randomly divided into 2 subgroups (A and B). In subgroup A, medicaments were only applied to the root canals, while in subgroup B, the root canals were completely filled with medicaments and a cotton pellet dipped in medicament was also placed in the pulp chamber. Spectrophotometric readings were obtained from the mid-buccal surface of the tooth crowns immediately after placing the medicaments (T1) and at 1 week (T2), 1 month (T3), and 3 months (T4) after filling. The ∆E was then calculated. Data were analyzed using 2-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), 3-way ANOVA, and the Scheffé post hoc test.

The greatest color change (ΔE) was observed at 3 months (p < 0.0001) and in 3Mix subgroup B (p = 0.0057). No significant color change occurred in the CH (p = 0.7865) or CH/CHX (p = 0.1367) groups over time, but the 3Mix group showed a significant ΔE (p = 0.0164).

Intracanal medicaments may induce tooth discoloration. Use of 3Mix must be short and it must be carefully applied only to the root canals; the access cavity should be thoroughly cleaned afterwards.

This study was performed to investigate the effects of different intracanal medicaments on chemical structure and microhardness of dentin.

Fifty human dentin discs were obtained from intact third molars and randomly assigned into two control groups and three treatment groups. The first control group received no treatment. The second control group (no medicament group) was irrigated with sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl), stored in humid environment for four weeks and then irrigated with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA). The three treatment groups were irrigated with NaOCl, treated for four weeks with either 1 g/mL triple antibiotic paste (TAP), 1 mg/mL methylcellulose-based triple antibiotic paste (DTAP), or calcium hydroxide [Ca(OH)₂] and finally irrigated with EDTA. After treatment, one half of each dentin disc was subjected to Vickers microhardness (n = 10 per group) and the other half was used to evaluate the chemical structure (phosphate/amide I ratio) of treated dentin utilizing attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (n = 5 per group). One-way ANOVA followed by Fisher's least significant difference were used for statistical analyses.

Dentin discs treated with different intracanal medicaments and those treated with NaOCl + EDTA showed significant reduction in microhardness (p < 0.0001) and phosphate/amide I ratio (p < 0.05) compared to no treatment control dentin. Furthermore, dentin discs treated with TAP had significantly lower microhardness (p < 0.0001) and phosphate/amide I ratio (p < 0.0001) compared to all other groups.

The use of DTAP or Ca(OH)₂ medicaments during endodontic regeneration may cause significantly less microhardness reduction and superficial demineralization of dentin compared to the use of TAP.