tissuedissolving capacity and antibacterial effect of buffered and unbuffered hypochlorite solutions objective the goal of this study was to compare the dissolving potential of dakins solution with that of equivalent buffered and unbuffered sodium hypochlorite solutions on fresh and decayed tissues in addition the antimicrobial effect of dakins solution and equivalent unbuffered hypochlorite was testedstudy design tissue specimens were obtained from freshly dissected pig palates unbuffered 25 and 05 sodium hypochlorite solutions and 05 solutions buffered at a ph of 12 and a ph of 9 dakins solution were tested on fresh and decayed tissue tissue decay was assessed histologically antimicrobial testing was performed with enterococcus faecalis in dentin blocks and on filter papersresults the 25 naocl solution was substantially more effective than the three 05 solutions in dissolving the test tissues buffering had little effect on tissue dissolution and dakins solution was equally effective on decayed and fresh tissues no differences were recorded for the antibacterial properties of dakins solution and an equivalent unbuffered hypochlorite solutionconclusions in contrast to earlier statements the results of this study do not demonstrate any benefit from buffering sodium hypochlorite with sodium bicarbonate according to dakins method an irrigation solution with less dissolving potential may be obtained by simply diluting stock solutions of naocl with water