Microleakage of five temporary endodontic restorative materials

Area of Science:

• Endodontics
• Dental Materials Science
• Restorative Dentistry

Background:

• Effective interim restoration is crucial in endodontic therapy to prevent bacterial ingress.
• Material selection impacts the success of sealing endodontic access preparations between appointments.
• Microleakage remains a significant concern, potentially leading to treatment failure.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate and compare the microleakage resistance of five commonly used interim endodontic restorative materials.
• To determine the efficacy of a "sandwich" technique using IRM and Cavit.
• To identify materials suitable for temporary coronal sealing in endodontic procedures.

Main Methods:

• Sixty extracted human molars underwent endodontic access preparation.
• Access cavities were sealed with TERM, Cavit, IRM, Ketac-Silver, or an IRM-Cavit combination.
• Specimens were subjected to thermocycling, dye immersion, and microscopic evaluation for microleakage.

Main Results:

• TERM, Cavit, and the IRM-Cavit "sandwich" restoration exhibited minimal to no microleakage.
• Ketac-Silver and IRM demonstrated substantial or gross microleakage.
• Significant differences in sealing ability were observed among the tested materials.

Conclusions:

• TERM, Cavit, and the IRM-Cavit "sandwich" are effective interim endodontic restorative materials with excellent sealing properties.
• Ketac-Silver and IRM are not recommended as reliable interim restorative materials due to significant microleakage.
• Material choice is critical for preventing coronal microleakage and ensuring endodontic treatment success.