The effect of calcium hydroxide on the apical microleakage of canals filled with bioceramic and resin sealers

Aim: To evaluate the impact of calcium hydroxide (Ca[OH](2)) on the apical microleakage of canals filled with the bioceramic Total Fill BC (TF BC) and the resin AH 26 sealers. Methodology: A total of 104 human single-canal maxillary teeth were prepared with rotary files. The teeth were randomly divided into two main test groups (n=48) and two control groups, one positive and one negative (n=4). In one test group, Ca(OH)(2) was used; in the other test group, no dressing was placed within the canal. Samples in each test group with or without Ca(OH)(2) dressing were randomly divided into two subgroups. In one subgroup, AH 26 sealer was used and in the other one, TF BC sealer was used. The specimens with Ca(OH)(2) were kept at 37 degrees C in 100% humidity. A dye penetration technique was used to evaluate the leakage. The data were analyz-ed by Kolmogorov-Smirnov, Kruskal-Wallis, Mann-Whitney U, and Fisher exact tests. Results: The mean microleakage in the subgroups filled with TF BC sealer, with or without Ca(OH)(2), was significantly greater than that in the subgroups filled with AH 26 sealer. In addition, the microleakage of the TF BC specimens with Ca(OH)(2) was significantly higher than the microleakage of TF BC specimens without the dressing (P<0.001). Conclusions: The findings of this study showed that use of Ca(OH)(2) as an intracanal dressing negatively affected the sealing potential of TF BC.