Coronal microleakage of endodontically treated teeth with intracanal post exposed to fresh human saliva

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the coronal microleakage of endodontically treated teeth prepared to receive an intracanal post and teeth with an intracanal post but without a prosthetic crown and exposed to contamination by fresh human saliva. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A mechanical-chemical preparation following the step-back technique was carried out in 35 extracted single-rooted human teeth. The teeth were randomly divided into five groups: G1=root canals instrumented, obturated, and prepared to receive an intracanal post (N=10); G2=root canals with cemented posts but without coronal sealing (N=10); PC1=positive control root canals instrumented and open (N=5); PC2=positive control 2 root canals without instrumentation and open (N=5); and NC=negative control healthy teeth (N=5). The crowns were removed except for the control group of intact teeth. The root canals were obturated and sterilized with cobalt 60 gamma irradiation and were then adapted in an apparatus using a Brain Heart Infusion (BHI) medium and fresh human saliva for contamination. Microbial growth was indicated by the presence of turbidity in the BHI liquid medium. RESULTS: Data were submitted to the Kaplan-Meier Survival Analysis and the Holm-Sidak statistic method, which observed an index of 90% of microleakage in root canals after 24 hours for G1 and 70% of microleakage in samples at the end of 40 days for G2. CONCLUSION: The results show that root canals with an intracanal post but without a prosthetic crown can be recontaminated when exposed to fresh human saliva in a short period.