Irrigation flow rate of 4 mL/min ideal for clearance of dye beyond needle tip in vivo root canal model

The mesiobuccal canal of a mandibular molar was instrumented to #35/06 and placed into a chamber coupled to a pressure transducer. Irrigation was performed using a digital peristaltic pump using flow rates from 1–15 mL/min with irrigation needles of different sizes and designs. A plastic root canal model instrumented to the same size filled with dye was used to measure the extent of dye clearance beyond the needle tip using the same irrigation conditions.

Results of the study are:

• Positive-pressure irrigation revealed a flow rate–dependent increase in apical pressure (P < .05).
• The apical pressure at high irrigation flow rates was several times higher than at low flow rates. Needle designs with safety features yielded statistically significant lower apical pressures than needles without safety features (P < .05).
• There was no further increase in dye clearance from the end of the needle tip in a plastic root canal model at flow rates higher than 4 mL/min.

Thus, if apical clearance of dye beyond the needle tip is a measure of irrigation effectiveness, then maximum effectiveness with safe apical pressures can be gained at specific flow rates using specific needle tip designs. The use of an irrigation flow rate of 4 mL/min was able to achieve maximum effectiveness in this study.

Reference:

Apical Pressure and Extent of Irrigant Flow beyond the Needle Tip during Positive-pressure Irrigation in an In Vitro Root Canal Model by Ellen Park et al. published in the Journal of Endodontics.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joen.2012.12.004