Objective: This study evaluated the biologic ability of sodium hypochlorite to control hemorrhage via chemical amputation of the coagulum, to remove dentin chips, to assist healing, and to facilitate formation of a dentinal bridge under two adhesive systems.
Method and materials: Ninety Class V cavities with mechanical pulpal exposures were placed in the teeth of five adult monkeys and histologically observed. All exposures were prepared with a No. 330 bur, and hemorrhage was controlled with 3% sodium hypochlorite. Twenty-two exposures were capped with All-Bond 2 and AElitefil, and 26 exposures were capped with One-Step (OS) and Resinomer (RS). Two pulps were excluded from the final data. Forty-two exposures were capped with calcium hydroxide and amalgam as controls. At 7, 27, and 90 days, tissues were obtained by perfusion fixation, demineralized, sectioned, stained, and histologically graded according to published qualitative criteria.
Results: For both adhesives, at 7 days, 12 of 16 pulps showed no coagulum remnants or dentin chips at the material interface. No necrotic pulps were observed. At 27 and 97 days, 26 of 30 capped pulps had dentinal bridges at the adhesive interface. Reparative dentin was present in 28 pulps. Four 97-day pulps exhibited necrosis associated with stained bacteria. One 97-day pulp contained dentin chips throughout the pulp and demonstrated no healing, no reparative dentin, and no stained bacterial profiles.
Conclusion: Normal soft tissue reorganization and dentinal bridge formation were observed in 86% of pulps treated with sodium hypochlorite and either adhesive system.