Bacterial leakage in root canals obturated by different techniques. Part 1: microbiologic evaluation

Area of Science:

• Endodontics
• Microbiology
• Dental Materials

Background:

• Coronal leakage is a significant factor in endodontic treatment failure.
• Effective root canal obturation is crucial for preventing bacterial ingress.
• Various obturation techniques and depths are employed, each with potential implications for seal quality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the coronal bacterial leakage of root canals obturated with different techniques.
• To evaluate the effect of obturation length (5 mm vs. 10 mm) on coronal leakage.

Main Methods:

• 160 palatal roots of maxillary molars were instrumented.
• Roots were obturated using lateral condensation, Microseal, Touch 'n Heat + Ultrafil, or Tagger's hybrid technique at 5 mm or 10 mm depths.
• Roots were sterilized and subjected to bacterial leakage evaluation.

Main Results:

• Tagger's hybrid technique showed a statistically significant increase in coronal leakage compared to other methods.
• No significant difference in leakage was observed between lateral condensation, Microseal, and Touch 'n Heat + Ultrafil techniques.
• Obturation to 10 mm resulted in significantly less coronal leakage than obturation to 5 mm.

Conclusions:

• Tagger's hybrid technique may compromise coronal seal integrity.
• Deeper obturation (10 mm) provides a superior coronal seal compared to shallower obturation (5 mm).
• Careful selection of obturation technique and depth is essential for predictable endodontic outcomes.