The ability of different compositions of calcium silicate and epoxy sealers to withstand gutta percha removal via in vitro pull-out testing

OBJECTIVE

examination of the influence of chemical composition changes on the ability of sealers to withstand a pull-out test.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Fifty distal or palatal canals of extracted teeth were prepared by Dc Taper files. The teeth were divided into five groups: AH Plus, BJM RCS, Total Fill BC,AH Plus Bioceramic and a group with Gutta Percha with no sealer added. Ten days after obturation, each cone was subjected to the "pull-out test" with the Shimadzo Universal Testing Machine until it was torn or removed from the canal. A force to Stroke graph was generated and the maximum vertex of this graph was recorded. The number of times the cone was torn or removed was recorded.

RESULTS

The amount of force needed to remove or rupture the cone was significantly higher in all sealer groups compared to the AH Plus Bioceramic group. The force needed for the AH Plus group was double that needed for the AH Plus Bioceramic group 4 (1.87 ± 0.53 N vs 0.93 ± 0.48 N, respectively, P < 0.001). All of the cones (n = 10) in the AH Plus Bio Ceramic Sealer group were removed in their entirety (P = 0.01 compared to each of the other groups).

CONCLUSIONS

The addition of macromolecules to epoxy sealer does not change the material's ability to withstand the pull-out test. Decreasing the amount of tri- and di-calcium silicate compounds combined with increasing amounts of zirconium oxide in a Bioceramic sealer significantly decreased the material's ability to withstand the pull-out test.