title: Radiopacity of root filling materials using digital radiography.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate radiopacity of root filling materials using digital radiography.
  
  
  METHODS
  The sealers tested were AH Plus, Endofill, EndoREZ and Epiphany. Gutta-percha (Dentsply Maillefer) and Resilon cones were also tested. Acrylic plates, containing six wells, measuring 1 mm in depth and 5 mm in diameter, were prepared for the test, and filled with the materials. The test samples were radiographed together with an aluminium stepwedge calibrated in millimetres, according to ANSI/ADA Specification 57. For the radiographic exposures, digital imaging plates and an X-ray machine at 70 kVp and 8 mA were used. The object-to-focus distance was 30 cm, and the exposure time, 0.2 s. After the laser optic reading process, the software determined the radiopacity of the standardized areas, using grey-scale values, calculating the average radiographic density for each material.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The decreasing values of radiopacity of the studied materials, expressed in millimetres of aluminium equivalent, were: Resilon (13.0), AH Plus(TM) (11.2), gutta-percha (9.8), Epiphany (8.0), Endofill (6.9) and EndoREZ (6.6).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  All materials had radiopacity values above 3 mm of aluminium recommended by ANSI/ADA Specification 57.
authors.affiliation: Department of Restorative Dentistry, Discipline of Dental Materials, State University of Campinas, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil. jacy-junior@uol.com.br
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Carvalho-Junior
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Correr-Sobrinho
authors.forename: A B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Correr
authors.forename: M A C
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Sinhoreti
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Consani
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Sousa-Neto
mesh_terms: D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D003188:Composite Resins / Q000737:chemistry; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000737:chemistry*; D004853:Epoxy Resins / Q000737:chemistry; D006171:Gutta-Percha / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008422:Materials Testing; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement; D011861:Radiography, Dental; D019252:Radiography, Dental, Digital; D012387:Root Canal Filling Materials / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D003188:Composite Resins; D003287:Contrast Media; C481259:EndoRez; D004853:Epoxy Resins; D012387:Root Canal Filling Materials; C486893:epiphany sealer; C534916:epoxy resin-based root canal sealer; C486892:resilon sealer; C074417:Endo-Fill; D006171:Gutta-Percha