Evaluation of irrigation techniques in the removal of root canal filling material: Micro-CT and SEM study

Abstract

Background/Aim: This study aimed to compare the different irrigation activation methods in retreatment of oval-shaped root canals. Material and Methods: Forty distal canals from mandibular molars were filled. After the removal of filling material, specimens were assigned to four groups as follows; control, passive ultrasonic irrigation (PUI), self-adjusting file (SAF), and XP-endo Finisher (XPF). The amount of residual filling material was assessed by micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) and root canal walls were examined by using scanning electrom microscopy (SEM). Data were analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis and Dunn test. Results: None of the activation techniques removed root canal remnants completely. The amount of filling material significantly decreased in all activation techniques compared to the control group (p0.05). SEM evaluation showed higher scores in the apical region in all groups (p<0.05). Conclusions: The use of activation methods reduces the amount of residual filling material.

Keywords

• passive ultrasonic i̇rrigation
• retreatment
• self-adjusting file
• xp-endo finisher