An investigation of microleakage from root-end fillings in ultrasonic retrograde cavities with or without finishing: A quantitative analysis

Objective. The aim of this study was to make a quantitative assessment of the sealing ability of Super-EBA, IRM, and Pro Root MTA root-end fillings subjected to 3 different finishing techniques. Study design. Eighty-one ultrasonically prepared root-end cavities in human canines were separated randomly into 3 test groups of 27 roots each. The cavities were filled with Super-EBA, IRM, or Pro Root MTA and finished by ball burnishing. Sequentially, 18 roots from each group received a final smoothing with either a 30-fluted tungsten carbide finishing bur or a Zekrya carbide 28-mm bur. Samples were prepared and immersed in 2% methylene blue dye neutral solution for 12 hours. Roots were ground into a powder and prepared for analysis in an absorbency spectrophotometer. Results. The results revealed that Pro Root MTA displayed significantly less mean dye microleakage (P < .05) than Super-EBA and IRM root-end fillings. The Super-EBA root-end fillings, although presenting a greater mean dye microleakage, did not differ significantly from IRM (P > .05). The finishing technique did not significantly (P > .05) affect the incidence of microleakage among the materials tested. Conclusions. The favorable results obtained with MTA in leakage studies may be related to its good marginal adaptation. Spectrophotometric analysis may provide valuable information about the sealing capacity of root-end fillings. None of the procedures tested were able to avoid leakage, a finding that stresses the importance of the eradication of irritants within the root canal system.