Influence of solvent and a supplementary step with a finishing instrument on filling material removal from canals connected by an isthmus.

AIM

To evaluate the effectiveness of a solvent (eucalyptol) in improving filling material removal from canals connected by isthmuses, and the additional cleaning effect of a finishing instrument.

METHODOLOGY

The mesial canals from 32 mandibular molars (Vertucci's type II morphology) were instrumented and filled with the single-cone technique using Reciproc R25 gutta-percha points (VDW, Munich, Germany) combined with Sealer 26 (Dentsply, Petrópolis, RJ, Brazil). Each root was then subjected to retreatment using the Mtwo instrument system (VDW), with or without a solvent (n = 16 per group). The volume of filling material in the canals was assessed by micro-computed tomographic (micro-CT) scans taken before and after retreatment. Canals with remnants of filling material received a supplementary procedure with the XP-endo Finisher R instrument (FKG Dentaire, La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland), with or without eucalyptol, and another micro-CT scan was taken. All retreatment procedures were performed inside a cabinet under a controlled temperature (37 °C). Filling material removal was evaluated in the 5-mm apical canal system for the canal+isthmus space or the isthmus alone. Statistical analyses were performed to compare the removal of filling material with and without eucalyptol, and after a supplementary approach with XP-endo Finisher R. The level of significance was set at 5% for all statistical tests (P < 0.05).

RESULTS

The amount of filling material removed from the canal+isthmus with Mtwo instruments was 83.2% when no solvent was used and 83.8% using the solvent (P > 0.05). When the isthmus area was evaluated separately, most specimens were associated with a reduction in the filling material, with no significant difference between the groups with or without using a solvent (P > 0.05). The supplementary step with XP-endo Finisher R significantly improved removal of filling material from both canal and isthmus area (P < 0.05), regardless of the use of a solvent (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The use of eucalyptol did not improve filling material removal from Vertucci's type II molar mesial canals and isthmuses. XP-endo Finisher R significantly enhanced removal of filling material from the canals and isthmuses.