SEM and EDS study of TotalFill BC Sealer and GuttaFlow Bioseal root canal sealers

Recently, a new generation of calcium silicate-based root canal sealers has been developed. These new types of sealers have the ability to set in wet environment, have high alkalinity and present potential antimicrobial activity.

The aim of this study was to determine the chemical composition and microstructure of 2 novel calcium silicate-containing root canal sealers - TotalFill® BC Sealer and GuttaFlow® Bioseal.

The tested sealers were prepared according to the manufacturers' instructions. Sixteen cylindrical dishes (inner diameter: 4 mm; height: 3 mm) were placed on a glass Petri dish and packed with the materials. The Petri dish was transferred to an incubator. After the sealers set, excess material was removed with diamond discs and polishing paste. The materials were assessed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) X‑ray microanalysis.

Both TotalFill BC Sealer and GuttaFlow Bioseal contained calcium, zirconium, oxygen, carbon, silicon, and a trace of sodium. In the case of TotalFill BC Sealer, trace amounts of copper and technetium were also present, and for GuttaFlow Bioseal, iron, zinc, and a trace of magnesium and hafnium were noted. No bismuth was found. Both of the assessed sealers contained fine particles embedded in the matrix; however, GuttaFlow Bioseal also had larger particles with a diameter of 2-10 μm.

TotalFill BC Sealer represents a higher degree of purity in comparison with GuttaFlow Bioseal. The clinical implications of heavy metals present in GuttaFlow Bioseal need to be investigated. Both materials have a fine particle structure, which is desirable for root canal sealers.