An in vitro comparative evaluation of fracture resistance of endodontically treated teeth obturated with different materials

The aim of this study was to evaluate the in vitro effect of various obturating materials on fracture resistance of root canal treated teeth. Sixty freshly extracted human mandibular premolars were used. After standardizing the length to 13 mm, the teeth were biomechanically prepared and divided into four groups based on type of obturating materials used. Teeth were embedded in acrylic resin and fracture strength was measured using a universal testing machine. Data obtained was evaluated statistically using one-way ANOVA and the unpaired t-test. Teeth obturated with AH Plus and gutta percha showed higher fracture resistance than those obturated with Resilon-Epiphany. The results suggested that the group obturated with gutta percha and zinc oxide-eugenol sealer had the lowest fracture resistance. No statistically significant difference was found between the unobturated (control) group and the zinc oxide-eugenol group.