The comparative sealing ability of hydroxyapatite cement, mineral trioxide aggregate, and super ethoxybenzoic acid as root-end filling materials

A comparison was made of the ability of hydroxyapatite cement, mineral trioxide aggregate, and super ethoxybenzoic acid to prevent the leakage of bacteria from root canals, when used as root-end filling materials. The materials were tested in a double-chamber device in which a root segment connects the upper (delivery) chamber and the lower (receiving) chamber. The root segment was prepared by having the root canal instrumented to a #45 file, and a 3-mm-deep, root-end preparation placed at the apical foramen. The canal of each root segment was filled with gutta-percha, and the root-end preparation was filled with one of three test materials, mixed according to the manufacturer's directions. Negative controls were constructed with sticky wax sealing the apical foramen. A titered suspension of radioactively (H-3-thymidine)-labeled bacteria (Enterococcus fecalis) was placed into the delivery chamber, and sterile saline was placed into the receiving chamber such that the apical third of each root section was immersed. At various time points, samples were taken from the receiving chamber, and measured for 3 H activity. The results indicated that (a) all the test materials leaked significantly compared with the negative controls; and (b) there was no significant difference found between the leakage rates of the three materials tested.