A new single-step technique for apical retrofilling that significantly reduces microleakage

One of the properties of an ideal retrofilling material is little or no microleakage. A new dentin bonding agent based on polyacrylic acid (PAA) is ideally suited to the moist apical environment because of its hydrophilic nature. PAA as a dentin bonding agent for apical retrofillings was tested in an in vivo leakage study using single canal roots of extracted human teeth. Bonding was attained by pretreatment of the dentin in apical retrofilling preparations with a solution of PAA, followed by placement of a nonaqueous restorative material. Using PAA as dentin bonding agent reduced apical leakage at statistically significant levels with Super EBA as a restorative material. In vivo testing is required to validate these findings.