calcium hydroxide + chlorhexidine

Calcium hydroxide + chlorhexidine is a combination of two agents commonly used as an intracanal medicament in endodontic therapy. Calcium hydroxide acts primarily through the release of hydroxyl ions, creating a highly alkaline environment (pH 10–12.8) that denatures bacterial proteins and damages DNA, leading to broad-spectrum antimicrobial effects and anti-inflammatory properties. Chlorhexidine is a cationic bisbiguanide antiseptic with strong antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria; it binds to dental tissues for prolonged release (substantivity). The combination enhances the antibacterial efficacy—especially against resistant organisms like Enterococcus faecalis—and may provide synergistic effects by combining high pH with membrane disruption from chlorhexidine. This mixture is used as an intracanal dressing in root canal therapy for necrotic teeth, periapical abscesses, endo-periodontal lesions, inflammatory root resorption prevention, and to reduce postoperative pain or reinfection risk[1][2][3][4][5].

Other names

calcium hydroxide and chlorhexidine mixtureCH + CHXCa(OH)2 + CHX