• Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.378-389
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• 2006

The purpose of this study was to compare the sealing ability of root canal obturation with or without the treatment of smear layer. Eighty extracted human teeth with one canal were selected Instrumentation was performed with crown-down technique. After instrumentation, root canals of the NaOCl group and NaOCl-6 group were irrigated with 3% NaOCl. EDTA group and EDTA-6 group were irrigated with 17% EDTA. Then all teeth were obturated using continuous wane obturation technique NaOCl group and EDTA group were immersed in methylene blue solution for 84hours. NaOCl-6 group and EDTA-6 group were immersed in methylene blue solution for 6months. The teeth were sectioned at 1.5 mn (Level 1), 3.0 mm (Level 2) and 4.5 mm (Level 3) from the root apex. The length of dye-penetrated inter-face and the circumferential length of canal at each level were measured using Sigma-Scan Pro 5.0. 1. The mean leakage ratio was decreased cervically. 2. NaOCl group showed higher mean leakage ratio than EDTA group at each level. But there was significant difference at level 1 only (p < 0.05). 3. NaOCl-6 group showed higher mean leakage ratio than EDTA-6 group at each level. But there was significant difference at level 1 only (p < 0.05). 4. NaOCl-6 group showed higher mean leakage ratio than NaOCl group at each level. But there was significant difference at level 1 only (p < 0.05). 5. EDTA-6 group showed higher mean leakage ratio than EDTA group at each level. But there was no significant difference. 6. In NaOCl group and NaOCl-6 group, scanning electron micrographs of tooth sections generally covered with smear layer. In EDTA group and EDTA-6 group, tooth sections showing the penetration of sealers to opened dentinal tubules. The results suggest that removal of smear layer was effective to reduce the apical microleakage of the root canal.