Fracture Resistance of Roots Filled With Bio-Ceramic and Epoxy Resin-Based Sealers: In Vitro Study

Objective: This study aimed to assess the resistance of roots to fracture after being root canal filled with two types of endodontic sealers; bio-ceramic based sealer (TotalFill) and epoxy-resin based sealer (AH Plus).
Methods: Fifty-nine single canal mandibular premolars were instrumented. Group I (n=14, negative control): root canals were left without instrumentation and unfilled, group II (n=15, positive control): root canals were instrumented only and left unfilled, group III and IV (n=15 each): root canals were instrumented and filled with either gutta-percha/TotalFill or gutta-percha/AH Plus, respectively. The resistance of the roots to fracture was measured with a universal testing machine “Instron Corp” through recording the maximum force in Newton (N) needed to fracture each root. To analyze the data Kruskal–Wallis test was utilized, followed by Dunn’s Bonferroni post hoc test for multiple comparisons. The level of significance was set at 0.05 (P≤0.05).
Results: TotalFill group showed slightly better fracture resistance (734.62 N) than AH Plus group (728.29 N). However, no statistical significant difference was found between the two groups (P>0.05). The greatest mean fracture force was shown in the negative control group (913.915 N) with statistical significant difference between the other three groups (P<0.05).
Conclusion: Gutta-percha/TotalFill and gutta-percha/AH Plus did not reinforce the root canal treated teeth.