HUMAN SALIVA PENETRATION OF CORONALLY UNSEALED OBTURATED ROOT CANALS

Studies have shown significant coronal dye and bacterial leakage follo wing exposure of sealed root canals to artificial and natural saliva. The purpose of this study was to determine the time needed for bacteri a in natural saliva to contaminate the entire length of root canals ob turated by lateral and vertical condensation techniques. Forty root ca nals were cleaned and shaped using a step-back technique. Thirty root canals were obturated with gutta-percha and root canal sealer using ei ther lateral or vertical condensation techniques. Five root canals wer e obturated without a root canal sealer and served as positive control s. After obturation, the coronal 3 mm of five root canals were sealed with sticky wax and served as negatie controls. The coronal portions o f the filling materials were placed in contact with human saliva and t he number of days required for bacteria in saliva to penetrate the ent ire root canals were determined. No bacterial leakage occurred in the negative control group. Complete bacterial leakage occurred within 2 d ays in the positive control group. All root canals were recontaminated in less than 30 days. No statistical significant difference was found between the two methods of obturation.