Sealing ability of two intermediate restorative materials in bleached teeth

Area of Science:

• Endodontics
• Dental Materials Science
• Restorative Dentistry

Background:

• Endodontically treated teeth may require internal bleaching for aesthetic improvement.
• The integrity of the coronal seal is critical to prevent leakage of intracoronal materials.
• Dentin bonding agents and base materials play a role in preventing microleakage.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the radicular penetration of bleaching agents through different intracoronal base materials.
• To evaluate the efficacy of Cavit and IRM as barriers against bleaching agent leakage.
• To determine the necessity of a base material in preventing leakage during internal bleaching.

Main Methods:

• Forty-five endodontically treated human maxillary incisors were used.
• Teeth were divided into three groups: Cavit base, IRM base, and no base.
• A bleaching agent mixture was applied using a combined thermocatalytic and non-thermocatalytic technique, with methylene blue dye used to assess penetration.

Main Results:

• Teeth without a base showed dye penetration to the apex, indicating leakage.
• Mean leakage distance was 3.43 mm for Cavit and 5.94 mm for IRM.
• Cavit provided a significantly more effective seal against bleaching agents than IRM (P < 0.001).

Conclusions:

• A base material is essential to prevent bleaching agent leakage in endodontically treated teeth.
• Cavit is a more effective intracoronal barrier material than IRM for internal bleaching procedures.
• Proper selection of base materials is vital for maintaining the seal and preventing complications during dental bleaching.