The Efficacy of Passive Ultrasonic Activation of Organic Solvents on Dissolving Two Root Canal Sealers

Introduction: The aim of this in vitro study was to evaluate the dissolving efficacy of eucalyptol and orange oil solvents associated with passive ultrasonic activation (PUA) in zinc oxideeugenol (ZOE) based and epoxy resin-based root canal sealers. Methods and Materials: Seventy samples of each sealer were prepared and then randomized according to the solvent and the time of the ultrasonic activation (n=5). The mean amount of weight loss of sealers was calculated in percentages and was analyzed by using the Kruskal-Wallis and Bonferroni post-hoc tests. Results: The greatest values of weight loss were obtained with the ZOE sealer groups (P<0.05), regardless of the solvent that was used. An application of PUA for 3 min, with a renewal of orange oil solvent each min, showed the greatest percentage of weight loss in ZOE sealer compared to the others templates (P<0.05). Neither the solvent nor the different times had any influence on the weight loss of the resin sealer (P>0.05). Conclusion: The application of PUA with essential oils can be an effective method in dissolving ZOE based sealers.