An evaluation of the influence of passive ultrasonic irrigation on the seal of root canal fillings.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the influence of passive ultrasonic irrigation (PUI) on the seal of root canal fillings.


METHODS
A total of 40 mandibular premolars were distributed equally into two groups and the root canals were cleaned and shaped; they were then filled with gutta-percha and AH26 (sealer) using the warm vertical compaction technique with the System B (Analytic Technology, Redmond, WA, USA) device. In one group PUI was applied, after completion of instrumentation and hand-irrigation. In the other group, PUI was not applied. Thereafter, leakage of glucose was evaluated by measuring its concentration once a week for a total period of 56 days using a glucose penetration model. Differences between the groups in terms of glucose concentrations were statistically analysed with the Mann-Whitney test; the level of significance was set at P=0.05.


RESULTS
After the first month the root fillings in teeth where PUI had been used, sealed the root canal significantly better than in teeth where no PUI had been used (P=0.017).


CONCLUSIONS
Root fillings sealed the root canal better when PUI had been used.
van der Sluis
L W M
LW
Department of Cariology Endodontology Pedodontology, Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA), Amsterdam, The Netherlands. l.vd.sluis@acta.nl
Shemesh
H
H
Wu
M K
MK
Wesselink
P R
PR
D003763:Dental Leakage / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012388:Root Canal Irrigants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012390:Root Canal Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014464:Ultrasonic Therapy / Q000379:methods*
D012388:Root Canal Irrigants