title: Sealing ability of potential retrograde root filling materials.
abstract: The sealing ability of two potential retrograde root filling materials, a light-cured glass ionomer cement (Vitrebond) and a reinforced zinc oxide-eugenol cement (Kalzinol) was compared with that of amalgam using three methods of assessment: bacterial leakage, confocal microscopy and Indian ink leakage. the root canals of 80 extracted human single-rooted teeth were prepared. All the teeth were apicected, retrograde cavities were prepared and then divided into four equal groups of 20 teeth. The teeth were sterilised by autoclaving and the retrograde cavities filled with the test materials. In the control group, retrograde cavities in 10 teeth were left unfilled while cavities in another 10 teeth were sealed with cyanoacrylate cement. The teeth were first subjected to a bacterial leakage test using Enterococcus faecalis as a leakage marker. After which, the adaptation of the retrograde root fillings was assessed using a confocal optical microscope. Finally, the teeth were processed for the Indian ink leakage test. Bacterial leakage occurred in more teeth filled with amalgam compared with both Vitrebond and Kalzinol (P<0.001), between which there were no differences. With confocal microscopy, the size of the marginal gap was largest with amalgam and smallest with Vitrebond; all differences were statistically significant (<0.001). Finally, there was more Indian ink penetration with amalgam compared with both Vitrebond and Kalzinol (P<0.001) but there were no differences between Vitrebond and Kalzinol. Although there were individual differences within samples, overall, the three methods of assessment produced similar results. The sealing ability of Vitrebond and Kalzinol was similar and both materials were better than amalgam.
authors.affiliation: Department of Conservative Dental Surgery, United Medical and Dental Schools, Guy's Hospital, London, England.
authors.forename: B S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Chong
authors.forename: T R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Pitt Ford
authors.forename: T F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Watson
authors.forename: R F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Wilson
mesh_terms: D002244:Carbon; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D004396:Coloring Agents; D003722:Dental Alloys; D003723:Dental Amalgam; D003763:Dental Leakage / Q000517:prevention & control*; D018772:Dental Marginal Adaptation; D004338:Drug Combinations; D013293:Enterococcus faecalis; D005054:Eugenol; D005557:Formaldehyde; D005899:Glass Ionomer Cements; D006801:Humans; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D012184:Retrograde Obturation; D012387:Root Canal Filling Materials; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D015034:Zinc Oxide
chemical_list: D004396:Coloring Agents; D003722:Dental Alloys; D004338:Drug Combinations; D005899:Glass Ionomer Cements; D012387:Root Canal Filling Materials; C028433:chinese ink; C067790:Vitrabond; D005557:Formaldehyde; D005054:Eugenol; C036886:tytin; D002244:Carbon; D003723:Dental Amalgam; C003799:N2 Dental Cement; D015034:Zinc Oxide