Bacterial leakage assessment of bioceramic sealers

Aim: To assess the bacterial leakage of two bioceramic sealers and compare them to an epoxy resin-based sealer. Methodology: A sample of 94 one-rooted premolars was obtained and separated into three experimental groups of 30 teeth; two samples were used for negative controls and two for positive controls. The experimental groups were obturated using the hydraulic compaction technique: Group 1, AH Plus® sealer, Group 2, Bioroot® RCS and Group 3, TotalFill® BC Sealer. The teeth were mounted on bacterial leakage devices and incubated at 37 °C for 30 days in a bilin esculin agar culture with Enterococcus Faecalis. Results: Leakage occurred in 27 roots (30%) of the entire sample. Group 1 (AH® Plus) showed the highest percentage of leaked samples (40%) and also took the least average days to leak (16,9) compared to Bioroot® (19,7) and TotalFill® (19,5), but the differences found were not significant (p>0,05). Conclusions: None of the sealers analyzed in this study produced an effective apical seal in which no bacterial leakage occurred. A third of the total sample presented leakage, but the differences between groups were not significant.