The flow rate of endodontic sealers in various consistencies

Introduction. The flow of endodontic sealer (ES) is the property that characterizes its velocity along the certain surface and depends on the friction force. The aim of this research was to measure the flow rate of three zinc oxide eugenol based ES?s in various consistencies exposed to the load of 2 kg. Material and methods. The experimental group included prepared samples of sealers protocoled by ADA specification No. 57 A) Endomethasone N in liquid:powder ratio of 1:5, 1:6, 1:7 (standard), 1:8 and 1:9 according to the manufacturer brochure depending on the clinical situation; B) Roth 801 as 1:7 (standard) and 1:8 mixtures C) Tubliseal EWT as standard preparation (base-catalyst 1:1). A volume of 0.05 ml sealer was spread on the glass plate and upon applying the load of 2 kg the diameter of sealer was measured. In the control group the sealer samples were loaded only by the weight of glass plate (0.1kg). Results. Based on measured diameters of sealers, all of them satisfied ADA requirements for the flow (d>20mm) (Endomethasone - 20.7-27.8 mm; Roth 801- 29.6-30.0 mm; Tubliseal -39.9 mm). The thin consistency of sealers (1:5, 1:6) showed significantly higher flow than standard mixture (1:7) (p < 0.05). Conclusion. Tubliseal EWT sealer showed the highest flow rate, significantly different than standard mixtures (1:7) of Endomethasone N and Roth 801.