Apical sealing ability of a new glass ionomer root canal sealer

This study compared the sealing ability of Ketac Endo with and without smear layer and Tubli Seal. Thirty upper central incisors and canines with straight canals were instrumented and randomly divided into three equal groups of 10. All teeth were obturated with laterally condensed gutta-percha. An additional group of five teeth with unobturated++ root canals served as positive controls. The sealers were Tubli Seal (group A), Ketac Endo (group B), and Ketac Endo preceded by the removal of the smear layer (group C). The teeth were immersed in India ink for 7 days, centrifuged for 5 min at 3000 rpm, cleared, and then examined under a light microscope at X 50 magnification. The mean value of ink penetration for group A was 0.14 mm, for group B 0.24 mm, and for group C 0.48 mm. No statistically significant differences were observed among groups (p > 0.05).