Consultants’ Comments

• “Finally, a delivery system that gets the material to the apex!”
• “A product that should be in every office that does endodontic treatment.”
• “Dramatic improvement in patients’ symptoms.”
• “The delivery tips get to the apex, but the material is too thick.”
• “Due to the thickness, it was hard to tell if I was backing the tip out enough.”
• “Thick paste is hard to remove from canals. Material sticks to the side of the canals.”

Description

Vitapex is a calcium hydroxide and iodoform paste for use in endodontic procedures. Indications for Vitapex include root canal treatment, apexification and hard tissue formation, apexogenesis, treatment of root resorption, and childhood endodontic trauma. Additionally, Vitapex is indicated for use during pulpectomy or root canal treatment of deciduous teeth. The manufacturer reports that &llt;STRONG>Vitapex resorption approximates that of root resorption. The material is a soft, yellow, pre-mixed paste that can be delivered directly into root and apical areas by a plastic syringe and delivery tips. According to the manufacturer, Vitapex is chemically and physically stable, highly radiopaque, and has excellent antibacterial and bacteriostatic properties. Vitapex is available in a 2-gram syringe kit which contains one, 2-gram syringe of Vitapex and 20 disposable tips. The introductory kit contains one, 0.5-g syringe of Vitapex and three disposable tips. Twenty-six consultants evaluated Vitapex in 200 clinical situations. This product received a 92% rating.

Product Features

Vitapex has an excellent delivery system. The long, flexible tips fit deep in canals, often with access to the apical area. Many consultants found Vitapex to be an excellent inter-appointment medication for two-appointment root canal treatment since the material does not ever harden in the canal. This was especially true when presented with a “hot tooth.” Consultants were pleased to have the addition of an iodine compound to traditional calcium hydroxide and felt that this ingredient aided in pain relief. Many consultants noted that dispensing the material from the syringe would be enhanced if the material were less viscous. This consistency also caused removal of Vitapex to be quite tedious. Seventy percent of consultants found Vitapex to be equal to or better than their current canal medicament. Sixty-two percent of consultants would switch to Vitapex, and 77% would recommend it to a colleague.

Clinical Tips

• Vitapex is contraindicated for use in individuals with history of iodine allergy.
• During placement, avoid overfilling of paste through the root canal apex.
• Use a hand file measured to length to manipulate the paste within the canal.
• Use rotary or ultrasonic instrumentation for efficient removal of Vitapex.