Different Application Methods for Endoseal MTA Sealer: A Comparative Study

INTRODUCTION: The aim of present ex vivo study was to investigate the filling quality and voids, using Endoseal mineral trioxide aggregate (Endoseal MTA) with a single-cone technique with and without ultrasonic application and to compare these methods with lateral compaction technique. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Thirty-six extracted human anterior single-root teeth were prepared and assigned to 3 groups: Group 1: EMS group was Endoseal MTA+ single-cone; Group 2: EMSU group was Endoseal MTA+ single-cone with ultrasonic activation; and Group 3: LC group was Endoseal MTA+ lateral condensation technique. Teeth were sectioned transversely in coronal, middle and apical of the teeth and the existence of voids and their areas in the slices were measured and scored under a dental microscope. One-way analysis of variance and Post Hoc test were used for statistical analysis and also to detect any significance (α=0.05). RESULTS: EMS group showed significantly more void area than lateral compaction group (P<0.05), but the difference between the EMSU group and the other two groups were not significant (P>0.05). Also, EMS group had significantly higher void score than the other two groups (P<0.017). CONCLUSION: Endoseal MTA as a premixed calcium silicate sealer has a better performance when used with gutta-percha cone-mediated ultrasonic activation, so we suggest gentle ultrasonic activation for applying Endoseal MTA in the clinical use.