Comparative analysis of the effect of autoclaving and 10% formalin storage on extracted teeth: A microleakage evaluation

AIM: This study compares the effect of formalin and autoclaving the tooth samples by evaluating microleakage in-vitro. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-five extracted human permanent incisor teeth were taken and randomly divided into three groups (with different methods of storage and disinfection) with 15 teeth each: Group 1: Control-extracted teeth in this group were stored in normal saline, Group 2: the extracted teeth in this group were stored in 10 % formalin for two weeks and Group 3: the extracted teeth were Autoclaved at 121°C, at 15 psi pressure for 40 minutes. In all the groups after the specified storage period, class V cavities were prepared on the labial surface and restoration was performed with Z100 restorative. Finished and polished samples were subjected to 500 cycles of thermocycling. All specimens were immersed in methylene blue for 24 hours. After sectioning, the margins of restoration were evaluated for dye leakage at 10 X magnification, using an optical microscope. Data were subjected to nonparametric Kruskal Wallis one way analysis of variance. Inter-group comparisons were performed using the Mann Whitney test (P < 0.05). RESULTS: The authors found that the microleakage in the formalin group was considerably lower than that in the control group. The autoclave group showed slightly higher mean microleakage, but the difference was not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Both autoclaving and formalin storage affect, to a varying degree, the microleakage values in vitro. The results in the autoclaving group matched those of the control group more closely, with only a slight difference.