An In Vitro Evaluation of Human Saliva Penetration in Obturated Root Canals with Different Pairs of Root Canal Filling Materials

Statement of Problem: Gutta-percha presents no adhesion to the tooth structure and sealers. Ideally, it should be replaced by a material that offers better sealing in the entire length of the root canal. Purpose: The aim of this study was to compare the coronal microleakage of a root canal filled with different pairs of Gutta-percha (GP), Resilon, Epiphany and AH26. Materials and Method: For this study, 130 mandibular premolars were chosen. After decoronation and preparation of the root canals of the teeth, they were divided into four experimental groups with 30 teeth each and 2 control groups. Group one was obturated with GP and AH26 sealer, group two with GP and Epiphany sealer, group three with Resilon tips and Epiphany sealer, and group four with Resilon tips and AH26 sealer. All the groups were obturated, using cold lateral condensation. Micro-leakage was tested using a two-chamber bacterial method. The data were subjected to statistical analysis, using a Kaplan-Meier test. Results: The bacterial microleakage test showed no significant difference between groups ( p =0.1718). Conclusion: It is concluded that, in vitro, the epiphany obturation system is as good as gutta-percha sealed with AH26 when compared over 90 days of saliva storage.