An Ex Vivo Comparative Evaluation of the Fracture Resistance of Endodontically Treated Teeth Obturated with Gutta Percha Using Four Different Sealers

Aim: The aim of the study was to compare the fracture resistance of endodontically treated teeth obturated with gutta percha using four different root canal sealers (MTA Fillapex, AH plus, Real Seal SE and Tubli Seal). Materials and methods: Sixty freshly extracted single rooted human mandibular premolar teeth were used. After standardizing the root length to 14 mm, the teeth were chemo mechanically prepared and divided into four groups (n=15) based on type of sealer used. Teeth were subjected to vertical loading using a Universal Testing Machine and the point at which fracture of the roots occurred was recorded. Statistical Analysis: The data was subjected to statistical analysis using one way analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by pair-wise comparison using Tukey's Post-hoc test. Results: The P value for each group was <0.001 showing that highly significant difference existed among the groups. Real Seal SE group showed highest fracture resistance among the sealer groups. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Shreya Kapoor, Abhinav Misra, D.Arunagiri, Pushpa S., Sridevi N., Gauri Mishra 1 2 3 4 PG Student Associate Professor Principal, Professor and HOD Professor Associate Professor, Department of Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics Associate Professor, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology. Rama Dental College, Rama University, Kanpur INTRODUCTION: Endodontically treated teeth are [1] considered to be more susceptible to fracture than vital teeth. The reasons most often reported have been destruction of the stabilizing geometry, tooth structure loss due to caries/trauma, the removal of tooth structure during endodontic treatment, dehydration of dentin after endodontic therapy, use of chelating agents which leads to reduction in the Knoop hardness number and excessive pressure applied [2] during obturation along with occlusal loading. These factors probably interact cumulatively to influence the distribution of stresses, ultimately increasing the possibility of catastrophic failure. In addition to these factors, intracanal irrigants, medicaments and materials may also play a part in negatively influencing the physical and mechanical properties of dentin, [2] leading to fracture. The Knoop hardness number of dentin is 50-70 KHN. Studies have shown that in endodontically treated teeth the Knoop hardness number decreases by 14% 20% to none at all. Gutta-percha in conjunction with various sealers has been the [3] commonest combination used till date. Several factors should be considered while selecting a material or a combination of materials to fill the root canal. One is to select a material that has a potential to reinforce the root structure and protect it against fracture. It would be advantageous if the root canal obturation, in addition to providing an adequate seal, could contribute to the reduction in the incidence of tooth [4] fractures. to reinforce the instrumented teeth against fracture, a concept of bonded sealers used in conjunction with core filling material has been advocated. Before the advent of contemporary methacrylate resin–based sealers that are specifically designed for endodontic application there had been sporadic attempts on the use of low viscosity resin composites and dentin bonding agents as sealers, with varying in vitro results Real Seal SE is a dualcured resin based sealer which forms a bond between the dentin walls and the core, commonly referred as 'monoblock'. This sealer has self etching system that makes the bonding more effective and predictable along the entire root length especially in the apical third which is a difficult to reach area for separate etching and bonding steps. AH Plus is an epoxideamine resin based sealer, developed from its predecessor AH 26 with improved properties. It Thus AN EX VIVO COMPARATIVE EVALUATION OF THE FRACTURE RESISTANCE OF ENDODONTICALLY TREATED TEETH OBTURATED WITH GUTTA PERCHA USING FOUR DIFFERENT SEALERS. Journal of Dental Sciences University