Coronal microleakage for readymade and hand mixed temporary filling materials

Area of Science:

• Endodontics
• Dental Materials Science
• Restorative Dentistry

Background:

• Effective coronal sealing of endodontic access cavities is crucial for treatment success.
• Temporary filling materials play a vital role in preventing coronal microleakage.
• Evaluating the sealing ability of different temporary filling materials is essential for clinical practice.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the sealing ability of readymade temporary filling materials versus hand-mixed materials.
• To assess coronal microleakage in teeth restored with four different temporary filling materials.
• To determine which material provides the best seal against microleakage.

Main Methods:

• 80 human premolar teeth were prepared with standardized access cavities.
• Teeth were randomly assigned to four groups using Cavisol, Litrak, Zinc phosphate cement, or Zinconol (IRM).
• Coronal microleakage was evaluated using methylene blue dye after thermocycling, with grading from 1 (worst) to 3 (best seal).

Main Results:

• Cavisol and Litrak achieved the highest seal grade (3), indicating minimal microleakage.
• Zinc phosphate cement and Zinconol absorbed dye, showing significant microleakage.
• A statistically significant difference in microleakage was observed between the materials (P<0.01).

Conclusions:

• Readymade temporary filling materials demonstrated superior sealing ability compared to hand-mixed materials.
• Cavisol exhibited the best sealing performance among the tested materials.
• Proper placement and adequate thickness of temporary fillings are critical for achieving a tight seal.