Chlorax 5.25% Sodium Hypochlorite (5x200ml)

CHLORAXID® 5.25% · SODIUM HYPOCHLORITE

Canal irrigationDead pulp removalChemo-mechanical preparationDentist use only

The full-strength end of the range the guideline names

Cerkamed describe Chloraxid 5.25% as a liquid for root canal rinsing, for removal of dead pulp residues during mechanical preparation. It sits at the top of the 1%–5.25% range the European Society of Endodontology names – the guideline states there is insufficient evidence to prefer any concentration, so this is a matter of your own protocol rather than of one being better.

This pack: Chlorax 5.25% Sodium Hypochlorite (5x200ml)

What it is for

›  Cerkamed: for removal of dead pulp residues during mechanical preparation of the root canal.

›  The upper end of the 1%–5.25% range the ESE guideline names.

›  Cerkamed note that sodium hypochlorite "inactivates immediately in contact with organic substances" and put the working volume at about 10 ml per canal to allow for it. The volume is the mechanism, not waste – fresh solution is what keeps working.

›  Cerkamed carry two cautions worth knowing: sodium hypochlorite "can weaken root dentin", and the product has cytotoxic potential, so a rubber dam, gloves and eye protection are called for.

›  Not for use in patients with hypersensitivity to sodium hypochlorite.

›  Cerkamed mark the product "TO BE USED BY DENTIST ONLY".

Irrigation, as the ESE guideline sets it out

The European Society of Endodontology's S3-level guideline takes sodium hypochlorite followed by EDTA as its reference sequence – it is the comparator every other irrigant regimen in the review was measured against. For asymptomatic apical periodontitis in permanent teeth it states that NaOCl (1%–5.25%) followed by EDTA, then NaOCl again, may be considered (open-grade recommendation). Concentration is the clinician's choice: the guideline found insufficient evidence to prefer one over another, and we stock both ends of the range it names.

Rinse with purified water between steps. Cerkamed direct that the two are not run straight into one another – "the EDTA contained in the product neutralizes the effect of NaOCl" – and that "purified water should be used to rinse root canals between the use of fluids". The same applies to citric acid, and to chlorhexidine, which forms a precipitate with either.

Why not standard thin bleach?

Because you cannot be sure what is going into the canal. A 2026 randomised trial compared a domestic bleach with a medical-grade sodium hypochlorite, both diluted to what the operators took to be 2.5%. Measured afterwards, the domestic product was 6.13% sodium hypochlorite against the medical-grade at 4.83% – and patients in the domestic group reported significantly more pain at six and twelve hours, which the authors put down to the higher chlorine content together with the surfactants household bleach carries. (Nasr & Hassan, BMC Oral Health 2026; randomised controlled trial, 60 patients, one product on each side.)

A medical device carries a stated concentration, a batch number, an expiry date and a safety data sheet, and it is manufactured for this purpose. A household bleach is formulated to clean a surface to a price; its strength is not controlled for use in a root canal, and it is not intended for one.

This covers the irrigation step only. The same guideline also addresses diagnosis, instrumentation, intracanal dressing and adjunctive disinfection. › Read the full ESE guideline – Duncan HF et al., International Endodontic Journal 2023 (open access).

Which concentration should I choose?

That is your call. The ESE guideline names a range of 1%–5.25% and states that there is "insufficient evidence to recommend any type and concentration of irrigant over another". Both of ours sit inside that range, and both are the same price.

How much do I need for a case?

Cerkamed note that sodium hypochlorite "inactivates immediately in contact with organic substances" and put the working volume at about 10 ml per canal to allow for it. The volume is the mechanism, not waste – fresh solution is what keeps working.

Can I use it straight after EDTA or citric acid?

No – Cerkamed are clear that they cancel each other out: "do not use immediately before/after flushing with citric acid or EDTA, as these substances neutralise the effect of sodium hypochlorite". Rinse with purified water in between. The same applies to chlorhexidine, which forms a brown precipitate with hypochlorite.

Complete the sequence

Cerkamed · Cerkamed Chloraxid 5.25% Sodium Hypochlorite · REF CER-W-CHL5200