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Placement and Removal of Calcium Hydroxide and a Bioceramic Medication in Type-II Mesial Molar Canals: A
Pilar A Araya-Cumsille1, Rita A Toloza-Espinoza1, Sabrina C Brasil2
1Postgraduate Program in Dentistry, University of Grande Rio (UNIGRANRIO), Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Department of Endodontics, Universidad Andrés Bello, Santiago, Chile.
Introduction:
This study compared the quality of placement and removal of a bioceramic intracanal medication (Bio-C Temp) and a calcium hydroxide-based medication (UltraCal XS) using micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) analysis.
Methods:
Mandibular molars with Vertucci type II mesial root configuration were selected based on micro-CT evaluation. Teeth were allocated into 2 matched groups according to root canal anatomy and volume as similar as possible. Canals were instrumented using WaveOne Gold Primary files. Medications were injected into the canal using a syringe according to the manufacturer's instructions: UltraCal XS (Ultradent, USA) or Bio-C Temp (Angelus, Brazil). After 15 days, the medication was removed by using ultrasonic activation of 2.5% NaOCl. Micro-CT scans were taken after instrumentation, and medication placement and removal to quantify the canal volume and medication volume.
Results:
No significant differences in medication filling or removal were observed between groups at either the 4-mm or 8-mm canal levels from the apical foramen (P > .05). After placement, Bio-C Temp filled 73% of the full canal length and 30% of the apical 4-mm segment, while UltraCal XS filled 57% and 25%, respectively. The removal protocol substantially reduced medication volumes in both groups, with mean reductions of 91.9% and 88.5% for Bio-C Temp and 82.6% and 81.3% for UltraCal XS in the full canal and apical segments, respectively. Complete elimination was observed in only a few specimens from both groups.
Conclusion:
UltraCal XS and Bio-C Temp exhibited similar results in terms of placement and removal. Neither material completely filled the prepared canal, and removal with ultrasonic activation also failed to achieve complete elimination in most specimens.
