Purpose: To evaluate Well-Root ST and Expoxidin Duo sealers' contact angle, dentinal tubule penetration, and their impact on fiber post-bond strength.
Materials and Methods: Fifty-eight maxillary central incisor teeth were collected and decoronated. Ten teeth were longitudinally split into 20 segments and treated with bioceramic (Well-Root ST) and epoxy resin-based (Epoxidin Duo) sealers (n=10 per group) to evaluate the contact angle. Forty-eight teeth were divided into two groups (n=24) based on the same sealers used for obturation. Both obturated teeth groups were subdivided into two subgroups based on the evaluating test; 14 specimens were assessed for dentinal tubule penetration using a scanning electron microscope (SEM), and 10 specimens were restored with fiber posts and cross-sectioned to evaluate the push-out bond strength using a universal testing machine. Failure mode was determined for pushed-out slices under a SEM. Independent t-test was used to compare two different groups. One-Way ANOVA and Tukey's Post Hoc tests were used for multiple comparisons. P < 0.05 was the significance level.
Results: Epoxidin Duo group showed a significantly higher contact angle (56.78 ± 0.68o) than Well-Root ST group (53.25 ± 0.25o). Well-Root ST group showed significantly higher dentinal tubule penetration (10.40 ± 1.05 µm) than Epoxidin Duo group (7.61 ± 1.08 µm). Both groups showed a non-significant push-out bond strength difference.
Conclusions: Bioceramic sealer showed higher wettability and dentinal tubule penetration than epoxy resin-based sealer. However, both sealers affected the fiber post-bond strength at various regions throughout the root canal length without influencing the total bond strength.