MANAGEMENT OF OPEN APEX IN PERMANENT TEETH WITH CALCIUM HYDROXIDE PASTE

*Corresponding Author Address:Dr Abu-HusseinMuhamad Email: abuhusseinmuhamad@gmail.com
International Journal of Dental and Health Sciences
Volume 03, Issue 01Case Report
MANAGEMENT OF OPEN APEX IN PERMANENT
TEETH WITH CALCIUM HYDROXIDE PASTE
Abu-Hussein Muhamad* , Jabareen Ayah , Abdulgani Mai , Abdulgani Azzaldeen
ABSTRACT:
Calcium hydroxide is a multi purpose agent, and there have been an increasing number of
indications for its use in endodontics. Some of its indications include inter-appointment
intracanal medicaments, endodontic sealers, pulp capping agents, apexification, pulpotomy
and weeping canals. The aim of this study was to report the 10 year follow-up data of an
apexification treatment applied to a permanent incisor of a young patient treated with
calcium hydroxide.
Key Words: Calcium hydroxide , Apexifacation, one-visit apexification
INTRODUCTION:
Endodontic treatment of immature
necrotic teeth with necrotic pulps and
open apex involves induction of apical
closure by apexification procedures to
create optimal conditions for conventional
root canal filling[1]. Apexification therapy
is initiated when clinical and radiographic
evidence of pulpal necrosis has been
unequivocally established and the
incompletely formed root has an apical
diameter greater than coronal diameter.
Apexogenesis, in contrast refers to vital
pulp therapy to encourage continued
physiological root and apex formation
with its normal dentin and cementum
composition[2].
In the past, techniques for management
of the open apex in non-vital teeth were
confined to custom ? tting the ? lling
material[1], paste ? lls[1] and apical
surgery[1,2]. Anumber of authors[3] have
described the use of custom ? tted gutta-
percha cones, but this is not advisable as
the apical portion of the root is frequently
wider than the coronal portion, making
proper condensation of the gutta-percha
impossible. Sufficient widening of the
coronal segment to make its diameter
greater than that of the apical portion
would signi? cantly weakens the root and
increases the risk of fracture. The
disadvantages of surgical intervention
include the difficulty of obtaining the
necessary apical seal in the young pulp
less tooth with its thin, fragile, irregular
walls at the root apex.[1,2,3,4]
Apicoectomy further reduces the root
length resulting in a very unfavourable
crown root ratio. The limited success
enjoyed by these procedures resulted in
signi? cant interest in the phenomenon of
continued apical development or
establishment of an apical barrier, ? rst
proposed in the 1960s[1,3]

Muhamad A. et al., Int J Dent Health Sci 2016; 3(1): 1305-1310
1306
Most of these techniques involve removal
of the necrotic tissue followed by
debridement of the canal and placement
of a medicament. However, it has not
been conclusively demonstrated that a
medicament is necessary for induction of
apical barrier formation.[4,5] Table.1
Table.1; Flow chart of treatments for traumatized or diseased immature teeth
Nygaard- Ostby hypothesized that
laceration of the periapical tissues until
bleeding occurred might produce new
vital vascularised tissue in the canal. He
suggested that this treatment may result
in further development of the apex[6]
The most widely used material until
recently was calcium hydroxide that was
replaced over intervals for several
months, to stimulate calcific barrier
formation. Torabinejad and Chivian
introduced mineral trioxide aggregate
(MTA) as an apical plug and now it is an
accepted material for apexification till
date.
The use of calcium hydroxide affects
various mechanical properties of radicular
dentin (2). The alkaline pH of calcium
hydroxide increases the chances of
fracture due to denaturation of dentinal
organic proteins. Hence, it is not
recommended in teeth with thin dentinal
walls.[7]
Calcium hydroxide can be mixed with a
number of different substances
(Camphorated mono chlorophenol,
distilled water, saline, anesthetic
solutions, chlorhexidene, cresatin) to
induce apical closure[8]. The mechanism
by which calcium hydroxide induces the
formation of a solid apical barrier are not
fully understood. Some attribute its action
solely to its antibacterial activity, while
others emphasize its high pH or its direct
effect on the apical and periapical soft
tissues[9]. The alkaline pH and calcium
ions might play a role either separately or
synergistically. The calcium required for
apical bridge formation comes through

1306
thesystemic route as demonstrated by
Pisanty andSciacky[10].
Siqueira and Lopes discussed the
mechanism of its antimicrobial activity in
detail. Calcium hydroxide assists in the
debridement of the root canal, as it
increases the dissolution of necrotic tissue
when used alone or in combination with
sodium hypochlorite.[11]
Mitchell and Shankwalker studied the
osteogenic potential of calciumhydroxide
and other materials when implanted into
the connective tissue of rats[12] . Of
the[11]materials used in comparative
studies, only three gave any evidence of
induced calcification. They concluded that
calcium hydroxide had a unique potential
to induce formation of heterotopic bone
in this situation.[11,12]
Since in the vast majority of cases non
vital teeth are infected, the first phase of
treatment is to disinfect the root canal
system to ensure periapical healing. The
canal length is estimated with a parallel
preoperative radiograph and confirmed
radiographically with the first endodontic
instrument. The root length cannot be
determined with apex locator as it is not
reliable in teeth with open apices[20].
Preparation of the canal owing to the thin
dentinal walls is performed very lightly
and with copious irrigation using 0.5%
sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl). Lower
strength of NaOCl is used because of the
increased danger of extruding NaOCl
through open apex .The canal is dried with
paper points and a creamy mix of calcium
hydroxide is spun into the canal with
lentulo spiral. The calcium hydroxide is
left in the canal for at least one week to
be effective in accomplishing disinfection[
13].
At the second visit, a thick paste of
calcium hydroxide will be packed in the
root canal. Ca(OH)2 placement methods
vary from injection of paste, using lentulo
spirals and condensation or even using
packed dry powder. Many authors
consider a continuous intimate contact of
calcium hydroxide with apical and
periapical tissue as desirable[14].
Therefore it should be beneficial to use
calcium hydroxide placement method that
will provide the best retention of the
material in the canals.
Metzger[] et al concluded from their study
that injection of calcium hydroxide paste
was the easiest method to use.[14]
However, the injected paste was poorly
retained in the canals. Condensation of
calcium hydroxide with hand pluggers was
the most demanding and time consuming
procedure, yet retention of the paste in
the canals was superior to retention with
either of the two methodsfilling with
lentulo spirals and injection method
used[15].
Reports vary as to the time required to
achieve the goal of apical barrier
formation. Heithersay achieved apical
closure in the time range of 14 to 75
months. Chawla[15] used calcium
hydroxide paste and achieved closure
within 6 to 12 months. Kleier[16] found
closure of apex within 1 to 30 months.

1307
The aim of this study was to report the
10year follow-up data of an apexification
treatment applied to a permanent incisor
of a young patient treated with calcium
hydroxide.
CASE DETAILS:
A 10-year-old female patient reported
complaining of pain in the upper front
tooth since 3 days. [Fig.1]There was a
history of trauma to the same tooth due
to fall about 4 days back. On clinical
examination, Elli's Class III fracture in
permanent maxillary right central incisor
was evident. Periapical radiograph
showed incomplete root formation with
wide open apices for the same tooth
[Fig.2] . Apexification with calcium
hydroxide dressing was planned. In the
first visit, an access cavity was prepared
with a straight line entry into the root
canal . The working length was
established within one mm of the
radiographic apex by using size 30
Hedstrom file. Next, pulp extirpation and
complete debridement of the canal was
done using H file number 40 followed by
copious irrigation with normal saline.
After drying of the canal using paper
points, calcium hydroxide powder was
mixed with normal saline and this
Figure 1: Periapical radiograph showing
wide open apex in relation to 21
mixture was placed into the canal and
pushed to the short of apex using plugger.
Access opening was restored with glass
ionomer cement . [Fig.3] Patient was
called after 3 months. After 3 months
when patient came back, a periapical
radiograph was taken, which showed
complete formation of the root apex in
maxillary right central incisor, without any
signs and symptoms and periapical
radiolucency. Clinically, apical barrier
formation was confirmed by using a size
30 Gutta-percha (GP) point to check for
the presence of a resistant "stop" and
absence of hemorrhage, exudates or
sensitivity In the next visit, complete
obturation was carried out with GP using
lateral condensation technique followed
by composite restoration. [Fig.4]
Figure 2: Periapical radiograph showing
placement of CaOH dressing
DISCUSSION
The purpose of this paperwas to show the
capacity of calcium hydroxide to ensure
the long-term success of apexification in a
case study. In powder form, calcium
hydroxide (molecular weight = 74.08) is a
strong base (pH = 12.5–12.8) that has
poor water solubility (≈ 1.2 gL−1 at 25∘C)
with thixotropic behavior and is insoluble
in alcohol. It dissociates (dissociation
coefficient = 0.17) into calcium (54.11%)

1308
and hydroxyl (45.89%) ions [3]. It was
introduced as a biocompatible endodontic
agent for direct pulp-capping in 1920 [17].
Since 1966, it has also been employed in
apexification [18].
Figure 3: Periapical radiograph taken
after 3 months shows confirmation of
apical barrier with gutta-percha point
The drawbacks of calcium hydroxide
apexification are, multiple visits leading to
inevitable high costs; increased risk of
root fracture; long time-span; root length
compromised; thin lateral dentinal walls
increasing the chances of root fracture;
prevent apical pulp tissue regeneration
due to calcific barrier formation; and it
may damage the Hertwig’s epithelial root
sheath. To overcome the drawbacks of
calcium hydroxide, mineral trioxide
aggregate (MTA) was used which induced
hard tissue formation within a short time-
span and improved patient
compliance.[19,20]
A new technique known as Revitalization/
Revascularization which is an attempt to
revitalize tissues in the pulp space and
continued root formation in immature
nonvital pulps is being investigated. The
results of clinical trials shows high success
rate in terms of regeneration of pulp,
increased root length, and thickening of
lateral dentinal walls, however, these
preliminary reports still needs to be
analyzed before its clinical application.[21]
Figure 4: Radiograph showing complete
obturation of 21
Calcium hydroxide should be refreshed
every three months, which requires
multiple visits with inevitable clinical costs
and the increased risk of tooth fracture
since many dressing changes are
necessary till the formation of a calcified
barrier [22]. In this case when new, clean
calcium hydroxide paste had been
introduced into the canal, it was changed
in every three months. However, in very
young patients with ‘blunderbuss’ apex,
the paste may dissolve and wash out from
the root canal so quickly that, at least at
the beginning of the treatment, it may
have to be changed more often than
every three months. Granulation tissue
which often grows into the apical area of
a wide open root canal is sometimes
difficult to remove with instruments.
However, like in the presented case it
necrotizes when calcium hydroxide is
packed into the canal, and at the
subsequent visit can be rinsed out of the
canal with sodium hypochlorite[22,23,24]

1309
There are two schools of taught regarding
the need to replace the calcium hydroxide
paste, some authors suggest a single
application is sufficient to induce hard
tissue barrier apically, because the
calcium hydroxide paste acts only as a
catalyst for deposition of calcified tissue
and as a filler material in the canal
space.[25]
Another group of authors recommend
that renewal of paste is necessary in
presence of a very wide foramen and
inflammatory exudates in the apical
region which increases the rate of
dissolution of the paste. Therefore,
renewal of calcium hydroxide paste in the
initial stages cannot be under-estimated
in infected immature teeth for the
successful apical closure.[26]
The frequency of periapical healing and
apical hard tissue closure of non-vital
immature teeth after long-term calcium
hydroxide treatment is in the range of 90-
95%, which shows that the treatment has
predictable outcome. On the other hand,
if an apexification procedure is not
performed prior to obturating the root
canal of immature tooth, the success rate
of the treatment is less than 50%.[24]
In the present case report, the case 1 was
treated with replacement of calcium
hydroxide paste because the tooth was
necrotic with inflammatory exudates
present in the canal, while in case 2, the
tooth was left without renewal. The rate
of barrier formation in case 2 was faster
than the tooth in which replacement of
paste was done. This may be due to the
very wide open apex in the first case or
the presence of inflammatory exudates in
the canal.
The majority of dental trauma patients
require multidisciplinary cooperation.
Adequate integrated treatment planning,
coordination, and execution are necessary
for the proper management of complex
cases .In the presented case, the patient
regained his esthetic and function due to
cooperation of Endodontics, Operative
Dentistry, Periodontology and
Prosthodontics departments.[26,27]
One of the long-term failures that have
been reported in the literature are root
fractures of teeth after apical barrier
formation and obturation. This has been
attributed to the prolonged use of calcium
hydroxide as an apexification agen The
hypothesis was that long-term exposure
to calcium hydroxide may weaken the
dentine, thus making the roots more
susceptible to fracture.[19]
In a retrospective study of 885 luxated
non-vital immature incisor teeth, treated
with calcium hydroxide and followed-up
for four years ,it was observed that the
main root fractures were at the cervical
region in 77% of immature teeth
compared to 2% in mature teeth. These
results indicated that the thin dentine
walls in immature incisors could be one of
the reasons. This view was supported by
finding a significant relationship between
fracture and defects after inflammatory
resorption of the root had arrested.[28]
Al-Jundi, performed an analysis of the
outcomes of their previously reported
retrospective study regarding

1310
complications due to the late presentation
of dental trauma. Examination of dental
records and radiographs of 195 children
with 287 teeth aged from 15 months to 14
years old were performed then a clinical
and radiographic follow-up was scheduled
at 3, 6, 12, 24 and 36 months. Among the
outcomes assessed in this study were root
fractures as a long-term complication
following apexification. It was reported in
83 patients who had apexification
treatment, 32% had root fractures, 85% of
these which had occurred spontaneously.
The technique of apexification and type of
restorations provided were among some
key information that was not reported in
the study.[29]
Andreasen et al., in an in vitro study on
sheep’s immature teeth concluded that a
marked decrease in fracture strength
occurred with increasing storage time (in
saline) for teeth treated with calcium
hydroxide dressing. It was also concluded
that the fracture strength of calcium
hydroxide-filled immature teeth was
halved in about a year due to the root
filling and this might explain the
frequently reported fractures observed
with long term use of calcium hydroxide
or mineral trioxide aggregate. [19]
Rosenberg et al., in an in vitro study on
human teeth concluded that the intra-
canal calcium hydroxide weakened the
dentine strength by 43.9% after 84 days of
application. In this study all teeth were
embedded in plaster blocks that were
carved to end at the cervical margins of
teeth and tested for fracture strength
using a testing machine. One of the
problems in interpretation of the results
was related to a real-life situation, i.e.
human teeth are functioning in the oral
environment and lying within a unique
system of highly specialised periodontium.
The behaviour of these teeth under the
experimental conditions when stored in
saline for prolonged periods of time and
then subjected to mechanical forces while
embedded in plaster may be totally
different from teeth that are subjected to
physiological forces, and surrounded by
the periodontium. Other forces may play
a more important role in the increased
fracture susceptibility (if present) in these
teeth e.g. thin week dentine walls of
immature teeth.[30]
Kawamoto et al., in vitro study that
exposure to calcium hydroxide over 90
days increased the elastic modulus of
dentine, making the effected tooth more
prone to fracture[31]. The same finding
was found in Twati et al.,[32]that the
dentine was weakening by 50% after eight
months of calcium hydride application. A
more recent study stated that the
prolonged contact of calcium silicate–
based mineral had an adverse effect on
the integrity of dentine collagen matrix
that led to root fracture [33]
Although calcium hydroxide is the gold
standard root canal disinfection material,
it is not recommended to be used for
teeth that are going to be treated with
regenerative endodontic techniques.
Banches and Trope [34] have suggested
that the use of calcium hydroxide might
be lethal to the remaining pulpal stem
cells, which affect future regenerative

1311
treatment[35] or possibly disrupt the
apical papilla cell reproduction .This is
ultimately critical for stem cell survival
and thus discontinued root
development.[34]
CONCLUSION
Introduction of techniques for one-visit
apexification provide an alternative
treatment option in these cases. Success
rates for calcium hydroxide apexification
are high although risks such as reinfection
and tooth fracture exist. Prospective
clinical trials comparing multiple and one-
visit apexification techniques are
required. Calcium hydroxide has been
included within several materials and
antimicrobial formulations that are used
in a number of treatment modalities in
endodontics. Calcium hydroxide is an
amazing material which has a number of
applications in dentistry and especially in
endodontics, apart from being very
economical and ease in handling
properties compare to other material like
MTA (mineral trioxide aggregate) which is
also being used in endodontics recently.
Calcium hydroxide is still a material of
choice which is widely being used for
various reasons in endodontics, especially
in rural practice.
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MANAGEMENT OF OPEN APEX IN PERMANENT TEETH WITH CALCIUM HYDROXIDE PASTE