Comparative evaluation of sealing ability of different obturation materials

Abstract

Introduction: Root canal filling materials are intended to prevent microleakage and passing of microorganisms and their toxins along the root canal space and into the periradicular tissues. Objective: Objective of this in vitro study was to evaluate and compare apical leakage of root canals obturated using a modified warm vertical condensation technique and different materials. Methods: Sixty-five extracted single-root teeth were prepared according to the crown-down/ step-back technique. Each canal was rinsed with 3% NaOCl during and after the preparation. The teeth were divided into 3 groups. Every group was obturated by the same technique, but with different materials: RealSeal system (SybronEndo), gutta-percha with AH Plus (Dentsply Maillefer) and gutta-percha with Acroseal sealer (Septodont). The remaining 20 teeth were in the control group. The teeth were immersed in 1% methylene blue for 72 hours. After that period, the roots were split longitudinally, and dye penetration was measured using a stereomicroscope. Results: Dye penetration occurred in all groups. The least dye penetration occurred in the RealSeal group (0.33±0.29 mm), while the highest dye penetration occurred in the Acroseal group (1.11±0.52 mm). According to the Student's t-test, Acroseal showed significantly more leakage (p<0.001) than RealSeal and AH Plus materials. The microleakage of RealSeal system was not significantly different (p>0.05) from that of AH Plus sealer with gutta-percha. Conclusion: The results suggested that new material Resilon (RealSeal) and conventional combination AH Plus with gutta-percha had the least apical dye penetration and provided the best sealing.