COMPARATIVE STUDY: PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF NEW "CERAFILL" VERSUS OLD "IROOT" BIOCERMIC ROOT CANAL SEALERS

The new Bioceramic "Cerafill" root canal sealer launched in the market with a lack of the knowledge about its physical properties. This study aimed to evaluate its properties as compared with the old version "iRoot". The fresh past of each sealer was subjected to setting time test. The set discs were immersed in deionized water to determine solubility%, pH changes, calcium ions (Ca++) released after 1, 7, 14 and 28 days. The flowabilty and film thickness of each sealer was also determined. The ANOVA statistical test was used at P < 0.05. Cerafill showed the significant faster setting time (initial and final) and significant lowest solubility% than iRoot (P<0.001). Both Cerafill and iRoot exhibited high alkaline media ranged (9.17-11.52) and released Ca++ (P<001), with no significant difference between them. The greatest flow and lowest film thickness exhibited by iRoot (22.2 +/- 0.12 mm and 50 +/- 0.2 mu m respectively) versus Cerafill (19.5 +/- 0.5 mm and 70 +/- 20 mu m respectively). The new Cerafill has better physical properties regarding setting times, solubility, pH changes, Ca++ releasing, flowability and film thickness that meet the requirements for ideal root canal sealer.