Comparison of fl uid fi ltration and bacterial leakage techniques for evaluation of microleakage in endodontics

Abstract

Background: Apical leakage assessment is a way to compare the effi ciency of a fi lling material to

seal the apical region of the tooth. Many microleakage testing techniques have been introduced

through the years, but there has been no agreement as to which technique gives the most accurate

results. The aim of this study was to compare the accuracy of fl uid fi ltration and bacterial leakage

techniques in the assessment of the apical sealing ability of mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) and

calcium enriched mixture (CEM).

Materials and Methods: A sample of 34 extracted single-rooted human teeth were selected

and prepared. The samples were divided in to 2 experimental groups. The apical 3 mm of each root

was resected at 90° to its long axis and root end preparation was done with ultrasonic tips to a

depth of 3 mm and fi lled with MTA and CEM, respectively. Assessment of apical sealing ability was

done with fl uid fi ltration technique and bacterial leakage technique along 90 days with Enterococcus

faecalis bacteria. Mann-Whitney U-test and Chi-square test were used to analyze the data using

SPSS (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). P less than 0.05 was considered as signifi cant.

Results: There was no signifi cant difference in apical sealing ability between MTA and CEM in

bacterial leakage and fl uid fi ltration techniques. Samples which had bacterial leakage showed higher

leakage values by fl uid fi ltration technique.

Conclusion: Both techniques showed same results and there was no signifi cant difference between

fl uid fi ltration and bacterial leakage techniques in assessment of apical microleakage.

Key Words: Bacterial leakage, fl uid fi ltration, microleakage, root-end fi lling