In Vitro Evaluation of Apical Sealing Ability of HEROfill® Obturator Versus Cold Lateral Condensation in Curved Root Canals.
OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to assess and compare the apical sealing ability of HEROfill® Soft-Core system and lateral condensation technique in fine curved canals using the fluid filtration method.


METHODS
Forty human mesiobuccal root canals of mandibular first molars with 25° to 40° curvatures were instrumented to an apical size 30/0.04. Roots were randomly assigned to two experimental groups of 15, designated as groups A and B. Two control groups, each containing five teeth, served as positive and negative controls. Group A was obturated using lateral condensation technique and group B with the HEROfill® Soft-Core system. The groups were tested for microleakage using an in vitro fluid filtration apparatus with 0.5 atm pressure at zero, two, four, six, eight and 10 minutes. Independent t-test was used to analyze the microleakage data.


RESULTS
The mean and standard deviation (SD) values for fluid microleakage in the lateral condensation group were 0.58±0.49 μL/min, 0.68±0.35 μL/min, 0.74±0.22 μL/min, 0.71±0.29 μL/min and 0.60± 0.29 μL/min at two, four, six, eight and 10 minutes, respectively. The mean and SD values for fluid microleakage in the HEROfill® group were 0.53±0.42 μL/min, 0.67±0.34 μL/min, 0.69±0.26 μL/min, 0.73±0.33 μL/min and 0.63±0.26 μL/min at two, four, six, eight and 10 minutes, respectively. The difference between the lateral condensation and HEROfill® groups was not statistically significant at two (P=0.776), four (P=0.909), six (P=0.562), eight (P=0.861) or 10 (P=0.765) minutes.


CONCLUSIONS
The HEROfill® system and cold lateral condensation technique were equally effective for apical sealing of curved canals.
Associated Professor, Dental Material Research Center, Department of Endodontics, Dental School, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
Mina
M
Zarei
Professor, Dental Material Research Center, Department of Endodontics, Dental School, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
Maryam
M
Javidi
Postgraduate Student of Endodontics, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
Zeinab
Z
Kazemi
Assisstant Professor, Department of Endodontics, Dental School, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, International Campus, Tehran, Iran.
Farzaneh
F
Afkhami
Dental Leakage; Root Canal Filling Materials; Root Canal Obturation; Root Canal Therapy