Chelating agents in endodontics

Chelating agents have proven to be an indispensable aid in the chemo mechanical preparation of the root canal system leading to a successful root canal therapy. A number of chemicals such as EDTA, citric acid, etidronate, maleic acid etc have chelating ability and are available in various commercial forms to be used in endodontics. Chelating agents provide us with an array of benefits like smear layer removal, increase in dentinal permeability so that there is an effective flow of intracanal medicaments and sealers into the dentin thus forming a tight seal. They are also biocompatible and show some antibacterial property. Their effectiveness depends upon concentration, pH, the type of agent being used, the time for which they are being used and agitation methods.