Objectives: This one-year retrospective study evaluated the effect of unintentionally apically-extruded sealers (bioceramic versus epoxy-resin) on apical healing, sealers' resorbability, and sealers' digital radiodensity.
Materials and Methods Thirty patients with root canal treatment showing unintentional apically-extruded sealer (n= 15 for TotalFill sealer, and n= 15 for AH-plus sealer) were included in the study. One-year recall radiographs were compared with immediate post-obturation ones for presence or absence of apical healing, and extruded sealer's resorption, and digital radiodensity, using digital radiography. Data were statistically analyzed using Mann Whitney U-test and student-t test.
Results: TotalFill recorded higher observations (1.67) of apical healing as compared to AH-Plus (1.2). The difference was statistically significant P≤ 0.05. Regarding sealer resorption, TotalFill recorded lower observations (0.06) as compared to AH-Plus (0.4). The difference was statistically significant P≤ 0.05. Digital radiodensity of TotalFill (37.46) was higher than that of AH-Plus (-19.73). The difference was statistically significant P≤ 0.001.
Conclusions Within the limitations of the present study, TotalFill recorded higher observations of complete apical healing, compared to AH-Plus. TotalFill had a lower dissolution (resorbability) rate when compared to AH-Plus within the 12 months' timeframe. Digital radiodensity of TotallFill increased by time when compared to the declining radiodensity of AH-Plus within the same period of time.