LEAKAGE OF AH26 AND KETAC-ENDO USED WITH INJECTED WARM GUTTA-PERCHA

Condensing warm gutta-percha (GP) can greatly reduce the distance betw een the GP and the root canal walls (RCW). Different sealers with diff erent film thicknesses may seal such close fits differently. With the use of a fluid transport model, leakage of AH26 and Ketac-Endo used wi th injected warm GP to fill root canals was measured. The distance bet ween the condensed GP and RCW and the film thickness of the two sealer s was determined as well. After condensation, the distance between GP and RCW was mostly less than 25 mu m. AH26, with a film thickness of 3 9 mu m, leaked more than Ketac-Endo (p < 0.05) of which the firm thick ness was 22 mu m. It seems that film thickness of sealer is an influen cing factor on the sealing ability of a root canal filling when conden sation of thermoplasticized GP is performed.