Efficacy of various techniques in calcium silicate-based intracanal medicament removal: a micro-CT analysis

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of different techniques in removing calcium silicate intracanal medicament (Bio-C Temp). Forty human single-canaled premolars were randomly distributed into five groups (n = 8). All root canals were instrumented, then filled with Bio-C Temp. Following 1-week incubation, the intra-canal medicament was removed using one of five techniques according to tooth group: conventional syringe irrigation, Endo Activator, passive ultrasonic irrigation (PUI), ProTaper Universal F3 and XP-endo Finisher (XPF). Micro-CT scanning was performed before and after removal of Bio-C Temp. All techniques significantly reduced the volume of Bio-C Temp (p < 0.001) without reaching complete elimination. The percentage of Bio-C Temp removed was significantly higher in the XPF group (98.2%) compared to conventional syringe irrigation (70.6%), the Endo Activator (75.7%), and the ProTaper Universal (76.6%). There was no significant difference between the XPF and PUI (95.1%) groups. None of the removal techniques were able to completely remove Bio-C Temp from the root canal. However, XPF was the most effective method, but was not statistically significant when compared to PUI. Clinical Relevance: This study demonstrated that both XPF and PUI outperform conventional irrigation in removing Bio-C Temp intracanal medicament.