Differences in setting time of calcium silicate-based sealers under different test conditions

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Recently introduced calcium silicate-based bioceramic (CSBC) sealers require moisture for setting, thus this study aimed to compare the setting times of epoxy resin-and CSBC sealers under different test conditions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Four CSBC sealers (CeraSeal, EndoSeal TCS, One-Fil, and Well-Root ST) were compared to an epoxy resin-based sealer (AH Plus). Each sealer was placed in a stainless-steel and gypsum molds on a glass slide. Sealer samples (n = 10 per group) were stored in an incubator at 95% humidity and 37 °C. A Gilmore needle with a total weight of 100 g and a 2.0-mm diameter were carefully placed vertically against the sealer, and the setting time was recorded when the needle no longer formed an indentation on the sealer surface. Statistical analysis was performed using two-way analysis of variance and Tukey parametric tests. The level of significance was set at 95%. RESULTS: The setting time of all sealers in gypsum molds was significantly shorter than that in stainless-steel molds (P < 0.05). While AH Plus showed the longest setting time, EndoSeal TCS, One-Fil, and CeraSeal showed the shortest setting times when using gypsum molds among the five sealer types (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicate that CSBC sealers require moisture for setting; a lack of moisture results in a significant delay in setting time. Because the root canals contain moisture, it is necessary to experiment with the setting time of all types of sealers using gypsum molds to determine the biological condition of root canals.