Comparative Evaluation of Maleic acid and EDTA as a Desmearing Agent-An In-Vitro Study

Aim: To compare the desmearing effect of 7% maleic acid with 17% EDTA on intra-radicular smear layer removal using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM).

Materials and Method: Fifteen maxillary incisors were collected and decoronated. Each tooth was randomly split into 3 groups, each assigned to saline, 17% EDTA and 7% Maleic acid respectively and irrigated. Each tooth was split into halves and subjected to scanning electron microscopy for evaluation of smear layer removal.

Results: Average grading for saline was 5.16 and that of EDTA was 2.32 and Maleic acid was 3.16. Maleic acid was significantly better than saline. But maleic acid was significantly not as effective as EDTA on the smear layer removal.

Conclusion: This study proves that Maleic acid though better than saline fell short in comparison to EDTA in terms of smear layer removal. This difference in desmearing effect was significant.