LOW SURFACE-TENSION CALCIUM HYDROXIDE SOLUTION IS AN EFFECTIVE ANTISEPTIC

The antimicrobial effects of a saturated calcium hydroxide solution, a nd in combination with 10% and 2 0% detergent, were evaluated on Strep tococcus faecalis, Streptococcus sanguis, Streptococcus mutans, Strept ococcus salivarius, Neisseria sp., diphtheroid, Staphylococcus aureus, Lactobacillus sp., Staphylococcus epidermidis, Bacillus subtilis and Candida albicans. The saturated calcium hydroxide solution was effecti ve against only four of the 11 microorganisms studied over a 60-min ex posure time. The calcium hydroxide solutions containing detergent kill ed all 11 test organisms over a 30-min exposure time. This difference was statistically significant (P < 0.01). No statistically significant difference in antimicrobial action was found between the 10% and 20% detergent calcium hydroxide solutions (P > 0.01). However, the low sur face tension (46.5 x 10(-3) Nm-1) and high pH (10.8) of the calcium hy droxide solution with 20% detergent establish it as the more effective solution.