Obturation of root canals with different sealers using non-instrumentation technology.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate and compare the sealing quality of hand- or vacuum-obturated root canals after hand preparation or hydrodynamic cleansing of root canals, respectively.


METHODS
After assessing root curvature, 96 single-rooted deep-frozen teeth were divided into eight comparable groups. The root canals of four groups were instrumented with the balanced force technique. The remaining uninstrumented teeth were connected to a reduced-pressure device (NIT) and the root-canal system perfused with 2.5% NaOCl under alternating pressure fields. This dissolved the pulpal tissues and removed debris from the root-canal system. The canals of the hand-instrumented groups were obturated using the cold lateral condensation method with guttapercha and one of four different sealers (AH26, AH Plus, Apexit and Pulp Canal Sealer EWT). The teeth treated with the alternating pressure device (NIT) were obturated by a vacuum obturation method (NIT) with the same four sealers. The quality of the coronal seal was assessed using a dye penetration method. In order to minimize errors the roots were perfused with water before exposure to the dye, under vacuum. The teeth were then rendered transparent and the depth of penetration of the dye between the wall of the canal and the obturating material was measured with a stereomicroscope.


RESULTS
The canals cleaned and filled by NIT showed statistically significantly less dye penetration than those obturated by lateral condensation (P < 0.05). Within the NIT group, Pulp Canal Sealer EWT exhibited significantly more dye penetration than Apexit. Amongst the control lateral condensation groups no significant differences were found between the various sealers.


CONCLUSIONS
The present investigation demonstrated the validity of the NIT obturation method in combination with commonly used root-canal sealers.
Lussi
A
A
Department of Operative, Preventive and Paediatric Dentistry, University of Bern, School of Dental Medicine, Switzerland.
Imwinkelried
S
S
Stich
H
H
D001729:Bismuth; D002126:Calcium Hydroxide; D003763:Dental Leakage / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004338:Drug Combinations; D004853:Epoxy Resins; D006801:Humans; D008709:Methenamine; D011312:Pressure; D012387:Root Canal Filling Materials; D012388:Root Canal Irrigants; D012389:Root Canal Obturation / Q000379:methods*; D018915:Root Canal Preparation / Q000379:methods*; D012834:Silver; D012973:Sodium Hypochlorite; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014025:Titanium; D015035:Zinc Oxide-Eugenol Cement
C074418:Apexit; D004338:Drug Combinations; D004853:Epoxy Resins; D012387:Root Canal Filling Materials; D012388:Root Canal Irrigants; D015035:Zinc Oxide-Eugenol Cement; C534916:epoxy resin-based root canal sealer; D012834:Silver; C028044:epoxy resin AH-26; C076543:Kerr Pulp Canal Sealer; D014025:Titanium; D012973:Sodium Hypochlorite; D008709:Methenamine; D002126:Calcium Hydroxide; D001729:Bismuth