Comparative in vitro coronal microleakage study of new endodontic restorative materials

Complete sealing of endodontic access openings between appointments and after completion of therapy is an essential element in achieving endodontic success. Recently, two new products for use as temporary restorative materials, TERM and Dentemp, have become available. The purpose of this study was to compare in vitro the sealing ability of Cavit, Cavit-G, Cavit-W, and IRM-Caps, with TERM, Hard-TERM, and Dentemp. Standard access cavities were prepared in 144 intact extracted human teeth. They were equally and randomly distributed into seven groups, and their access openings were temporized. Specimens were submitted to thermocycling (5 to 55 degrees C) for 7 days and stained with silver nitrate. The teeth were split in half, and the greatest depth of dye penetration at the tooth surface was recorded. TERM exhibited the least leakage, while Hard-TERM demonstrated the greatest leakage, at the tooth-restoration interface.