A COMPARISON OF 3 DIFFERENT ROOT-CANAL SEALERS WHEN USED TO OBTURATE A MOISTURE-CONTAMINATED ROOT-CANAL SYSTEM

Sealing ability of three classes of endodontic sealers, in moisture-contaminated canals, was evaluated, A total of 120 single-rooted extracted teeth were divided into three groups, The groups were obturated with either Procosol, Sealapex, or Ketac-Endo using saline as a moisture contaminant in all cases, Half (20 teeth) of each group was placed in a saline storage medium for 9 months. The remainder of the samples were placed in India ink, under a vacuum, cleared, and the amount of dye penetration measured under magnification, The stored samples were similarly treated after the 9-month storage period, In a moisture-contaminated canal, Procosol exhibited the least amount of apical leakage, followed by Sealapex, then Ketac-Endo, There was no significant difference in the amount of dye penetration after 9 months of storage over that found initially, which indicates that the deleterious effects of moisture contamination occur during the initial placement and setting reaction.