Bacterial Leakage of Four Endodontic Sealers Using Fresh Human Saliva

INTRODUCTION: Bacterial leakage plays a considerable role in endodontic related failures. The aim of this study was to compare the bacterial leakage of bioceramic (including Well Root ST and MTA Fillapex) and resin-based root canal sealers (naming AH-Plus and AdSeal). METHODS AND MATERIALS: Sixty-eight maxillary central incisors were included in this experimental study. These were randomly allocated into four experimental groups, which were obturated with gutta-percha and four different sealers (n=15), and the two control groups (positive, n=4 and negative, n=4). A dual-chamber technique was carried out using fresh human saliva and traced for 90 days. The Chi-square and Long Rank tests were performed for data analysis. RESULTS: Bacterial leakage was observed in 33.3% of the samples in Well Root ST, 40% in AH-Plus group, 53.3% in AdSeal group, and 66.6% in MTA Fillapex group. The difference between the Well Root ST and MTA Fillapex groups was significant (P=0.02). The mean leakage time between the Well Root ST (85.6 days) and MTA Fillapex groups (71.2 days) was also significant (P=0.037). CONCLUSION: The results of this in vitro study revealed bacterial leakage in all experimental groups. The Well Root ST and the MTA Fillapex groups showed the lowest and highest bacterial leakages, respectively. Then it seems that the Well Root ST is a good substitute for MTA Fillapex in clinical applications.