INTRAORIFICE SEALING OF GUTTA-PERCHA OBTURATED ROOT CANALS TO PREVENTCORONAL MICROLEAKAGE

A study was conducted to evaluate Cavit, Intermediate Restorative Mate rial, and Super-ERA as intraorifice filling materials to prevent coron al microleakage. Root canal instrumentation and obturation was done on 74 extracted single-rooted teeth. Three and one-half millimeters of t he guttapercha was removed from the coronal aspect of the root canal a nd replaced with one of the three filling materials. The teeth were su spended in scintillation vials containing trypticase soy broth, and hu man saliva was added to the pulp chambers. Microbial penetration was d etected as an increase in turbidity of the broth corresponding to bact erial growth. At the end of 90 days, the results showed that 15% of th e Cavit-filled orifices leaked, whereas 35% of the Intermediate Restor ative Material and Super-ERA-filled orifices leaked. The gutta-percha obturated root canals that received an intraorifice filling material l eaked significantly less than the obturated, unsealed control group-al l of which leaked in <49 days.