The assessment of chlorine concentrations in sodium hypochlorite solutions used by dental practitioners in Morocco: A survey

Introduction: The purpose of this survey was to assess the concentration of chlorine in sodium hypochlorite solutions (NaOCl) used as root canal irrigation solutions by the dentists in Marrakech, Morocco. Materials and Methods: A survey was carried out among 74 practitioners registered with the Moroccan Order of Dentists, of whom 36 (48.6%) were men and 38 (51.4%) were women. A self-administered questionnaire was used. Among the questions, participants were asked about the number of treatments performed per week, the type of irrigation solution used, and the storage of the irrigation solution. After this interview, a 30 mL sample of that solution was sent to a laboratory to determine the amount of chlorine by iodometric titration. Jamovi version 1.8.1/ANOVA and the t-test were used to perform the statistical analysis (P < 0.05). Results: All the practitioners except two used the NaOCl as an irrigant. Besides, 84.7% prepared their solutions. The solutions were stored 63.8% of the time in opaque containers. The mean percent of chlorine concentration was 0.95% ± 0.68%. The concentration was also higher in the ready-to-use solutions (1.39%) than those prepared in the office (0.87%). Moreover, this difference was statistically significant (P = 0.01). Conclusion: The results confirmed that the NaOCl is the solution that practitioners use mostly. The conditions of dilution and storage are inappropriate, and the concentration is very low at 0.95%.