Dentinal Tubule Penetration of Tricalcium Silicate Sealers

Abstract

Introduction: The treatments for which mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA)-based materials can be used in dentistry are expanding. Smaller particle size and easier handling properties have allowed the advent of tricalcium silicate sealers including EndoSequence BC Sealer (Brasseler USA, Savannah, GA), QuickSet2 (Avalon Biomed, Bradenton, FL), NeoMTA Plus (Avalon Biomed), and MTA Fillapex (Angelus, Londrina, Brazil). The objective of this study was to measure the tubule penetration with these sealers using continuous wave (CW) and single-cone (SC) obturation techniques.

Methods: Eighty single-rooted teeth were randomly divided into 8 groups of 10 and obturated with 1 of the previously mentioned sealers mixed with trace amounts of rhodamine using either the CW or SC technique. Teeth were sectioned at 1 mm and 5 mm from the apex and examined under a confocal laser microscope. The percentage of sealer penetration and the maximum sealer penetration were measured.

Results: The tricalcium silicate sealers penetrated tubules as deep as 2000 μm (2 mm). The percentage of sealer penetration was much higher 5 mm from the apex, with many specimens having 100% penetration for both SC and warm vertical techniques. MTA Fillapex, a resin-based sealer with less than 20% MTA particles, had significantly greater tubule penetration with a warm vertical technique versus the SC technique at the 1-mm level.

Conclusions: Within the limitations of this study, the CW and SC techniques produced similar tubule penetration at both the 1-mm and the 5-mm level with the tricalcium silicate sealers BC Sealer, QuickSet2, and NeoMTA Plus.

Keywords: BC Sealer; NeoMTA Plus; QuickSet2; tricalcium silicate sealers; tubule penetration.

Figure 1

Confocal images of representative sections measured at 1 mm from the apex on the left and 5 mm from the apex on the right for each material. (A) BC Sealer with the SC technique, (B) MTA Fillapex with the SC technique, (C) NeoMTA Plus with the SC technique, (D) QuickSet2 with the SC technique, (E) BC Sealer with the CW technique, (F) MTA Fillapex with the CW technique, (G) NeoMTA Plus with the CW technique, and (H) QuickSet2 with the CW technique.

Figure 2

(A) Maximum sealer penetration at 1 mm. (B) Maximum sealer penetration at 5 mm. (C) Percentage of sealer penetration at 1 mm. (D) Percentage of sealer penetration at 5 mm.