Effect of immediate and delayed post preparation on apical dye leakage using two different sealers

Eighty freshly extracted teeth were endodontically prepared and filled with gutta-percha and either a zinc oxide-eugenol-based sealer or AH26 to determine what effect these sealers, with widely differing properties, would have on apical microleakage after either immediate or delayed dowel space preparation. The teeth were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 groups, and the post space was made either immediately after filling or after being stored in 100% humidity for 1 wk. They were then immersed in a 2% methylene blue solution under vacuum, washed, and split longitudinally. The extent of dye penetration was read by five independent observers and the results analyzed. The only significant difference was in the delayed preparation group with zinc oxide-eugenol sealer, which showed greater leakage than the other groups.