In endodontic irrigation, what solution is used to wash away pulp?

In endodontic irrigation, what solution is used to wash away pulp?

• A. Irrigate the chamber with water
• B. Irrigate with ethanol
• C. Irrigate with concentrated saline
• D. Irrigate with hydrogen peroxide

Answer: (A)

The key idea is to use a simple flushing medium to physically remove pulp tissue fragments after debridement. Water serves as a neutral rinse that can wash away debris without reacting with or altering the canal environment. It doesn’t dissolve tissue or introduce reactive chemicals that could interfere with later steps, making it ideal for the debris-removal phase. Other liquids have properties that aren’t suited for this purpose. Ethanol is a potent solvent and toxic to tissues, so it isn’t used as a routine rinse inside the canal. Concentrated saline is hypertonic and can cause osmotic stress and less convenient flushing compared with plain water. Hydrogen peroxide can release oxygen bubbles and cause tissue irritation; it’s used selectively for its disinfectant/dissolving properties rather than as a straightforward rinse. In practice, water (or a mild saline) is used to flush out debris, while stronger irrigants like sodium hypochlorite handle tissue dissolution and disinfection as needed in other steps.

The key idea is to use a simple flushing medium to physically remove pulp tissue fragments after debridement. Water serves as a neutral rinse that can wash away debris without reacting with or altering the canal environment. It doesn’t dissolve tissue or introduce reactive chemicals that could interfere with later steps, making it ideal for the debris-removal phase.

Other liquids have properties that aren’t suited for this purpose. Ethanol is a potent solvent and toxic to tissues, so it isn’t used as a routine rinse inside the canal. Concentrated saline is hypertonic and can cause osmotic stress and less convenient flushing compared with plain water. Hydrogen peroxide can release oxygen bubbles and cause tissue irritation; it’s used selectively for its disinfectant/dissolving properties rather than as a straightforward rinse.

In practice, water (or a mild saline) is used to flush out debris, while stronger irrigants like sodium hypochlorite handle tissue dissolution and disinfection as needed in other steps.