Leakage of amalgam, composite, and Super-EBA, compared with a new retrofill material: Bone cement

An in vitro leakage study was conducted to compare the root-end sealing abi lity of amalgam with cavity varnish, composite with dentin bonding agent, a nd Super-EBA with a new retrofill material: bone cement. Eighty single-root ed teeth were instrumented and obturated with gutta percha, resected and re troprepared. The teeth were then randomly divided into 4 groups of 20, with each group receiving one of the previously mentioned retrofill materials. The bone cement group was either etched or unetched. The teeth were immerse d in silver nitrate and developer for leakage assessment. The teeth were gr ooved and split longitudinally to measure leakage. Statistical analysis sho wed that amalgam leaked significantly less than Super-EBA and unetched bone cement; composite leaked significantly less than Super-EBA. Amalgam was no t statistically different from composite or etched bone cement. No signific ant difference between composite and both bone cements was noted, nor betwe en both bone cements and Super-EBA.