Background: Radiation therapy is a crucial component of cancer treatment, but it can have adverse effects on oral tissues, including teeth. The impact of radiation on the fracture resistance (FR) of endodontically treated teeth has piqued the interest of dental researchers. Bioceramic sealers like CeraSeal have shown promising dentin bonding and sealing abilities, but there is limited data on their FR compared to traditional resin-based sealers like ADSEAL. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of therapeutic radiation doses on the FR of root canal-treated teeth filled with gutta-percha and two sealers.
Materials and Methods: Ninety extracted mandibular premolars were divided into experimental and control groups. Each group was further subdivided into subgroups with and without irradiation (n=15) and obturated with either ADSEAL or CeraSeal. The FR of each group was tested using a Universal Testing Machine. Statistical analyses included independent t-tests for matched groups and One-Way ANOVA followed by Tukey's Post Hoc test for multiple comparisons (p < 0.05).
Results: Before irradiation, both sealers significantly increased the FR compared to the control group. CeraSeal exhibited the highest FR, followed by ADSEAL. After irradiation, all groups showed a significant reduction in FR, with CeraSeal demonstrating the least reduction.
Conclusions: Regardless of the sealer used, irradiation decreases the FR in root canal-treated teeth. CeraSeal outperformed ADSEAL in maintaining tooth strength after irradiation.