Journal of Dental Medicine

Background and Aim: Achieving appropriate seal in canal obturation is the main goal of endodontic therapy. However, in some cases, it can not be obtained by non-surgical procedures alone. Retrograde surgery is one of the most common procedures in endodontics. Apical seal improvement can be obtained by root end filling and decreasing the root end resection angle (bevel angle). The aim of this study was to investigate the role of bevel angle on apical microleakage following the use of amalgam and MTA as root end filling materials.

Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, 128 extracted human teeth were instrumented and obturated by lateral condensation technique. The teeth were divided into two groups and the apical root resection was performed by high speed fissure bur (one group perpendicular to the long axis of the teeth and the other 45 to the long axis. The 3 mm root end cavity was prepared by ultrasonic device. Each group was divided into two subgroups: One filled with amalgam and the other with MTA. Teeth were incubated for 72 h, covered by two layers of nail polish (except for apical 3mm) and submerged in methylene blue for 48 h. Teeth were washed under tap water and mesiodistally dissected by low speed disc. Dye penetration was evaluated by stereomicroscope. Data were analysed by two way ANOVA and Tukey tests with p<0.05 as the limit of significance.

Results: The results showed that retrofill material type had a significant effect on microleakage and MTA was superior to amalgam in this respect. Bevel angle failed to show any significant effect on apical microleakage.

Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, it seems that the use of MTA instead of amalgam in clinical practice can improve the success rate of endodontic surgery whereas the bevel angle can be determined based on the status of each individual case However, increasing the bevel angle seems to increase microleakage due to exposure of more dentinal tubules.

Background and Aim: Mineral Trioxide Aggregate (MTA) is a material used in many endodontic problems. Recently a number of studies, have reported that Portland Cement (PC) and MTA have similar physical, chemical and biologic properties. In addition, a material known as Root MTA which is produced in Iran has been claimed to have similar properties to Pro Root MTA. If these claims are true, possible use of PC and Root MTA in clinic instead of Pro Root MTA will be quite cost effective. The aim of this study was to investigate the toxicity of Pro Root MTA, Root MTA and Portland Cement on L929 mouse fibroblasts.

Materials and Methods: In this experimental study 0, 4, 24 hours and 7 days' extracts of materials were transferred to cell culture plates containing L929 fibroblasts. After 24 hours incubation, cells were stained by Neutral Red (NR), and optical density (OD) of each cell was read with ELISA reader. Data were analyzed using Tukey HSD and one way analysis of variance. P<0.05 was considered as the level of significance.

Results: In all surveyed groups and negative control group, at all time points separated cells from the base of the well were round. Refraction which is a characteristic of cellular death was not observed, whereas the separated cells from the base of well in positive control group showed refractional characteristic.

Conclusion: Based on the findings of this study Pro Root MTA, PC and Root MTA have the same biocompatibility. PC seems to have the potential to be used in the same clinical situation as MTA. However in order to replace MTA with these less expensive materials more in vitro and in vivo studies are suggested.

Background and Aim: Researches have shown that bacteria play the main role in development of pulpal and periapical diseases. Chemo-mechanical cleaning of infected root-canal system can not remove all of the microorganisms. Thus interappointment medicaments are necessary to aid this goal. Calcium hydroxide is one of the most useful medicaments in root canal therapy, but this medicament can not eliminated all of the bacteria in root canal system. Carvacrol is an edible plant extract that has antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effects. If this extract is effective against endodontic bacteria, it can be used as an root canal medicament.

Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, Initially, MIC and MBC of carvacrol detected with Macro broth dilution method and determined as 0.3% and 0.6%, respectively. After that, 30 single root and single canal extracted human teeth were used in this study. The number of specimens determined in a pilot study on 4 extracted teeth. After preparation to apical size # 30 with hand and rotary instruments, teeth were randomly divided into two experimental and two control groups. After culturing Enterococcus faecalis in prepared canals, we used emulsion of 0.6% carvacrol and calcium hydroxide in two A and B experimental groups for 7 days as the intracanal medicament. Microbial samples obtained before and after experiment. Then, canals with negative culture selected to obtain dentinal shaving to culture. Data obtained from microbiological samples analyzed with kruskal-wallis and Bonferroni tests.

Results: Results of this study showed that emulsion of 0.6% carvacrol has no significant difference with calcium hydroxide in elimination enterococcus faecalis after 7 days dressing (p>0.05).

Conclusion: Carvacrol can be used as an intrappointment intracanal medicament.

Background and Aims: Instrumentation of the root canals results in formation of smear layer which covers the dentinal tubules. In infected teeth, it is ideal to achieve a material that has the ability to remove the smear layer besides antimicrobial activity. Therefore, this study was designed to evaluate the antimicrobial effect of Citrus aurantifolia extracts (lime juice and rind extract) on Enterococcus faecalis within dentinal tubules in the presence of smear layer.
Materials and Methods: One-hundred and forty dentin tubes were prepared from bovine incisors. After removal the smear layer, the specimens were infected with Enterococcus faecalis. Then, the smear layer was reformed. Test solutions were used as the irrigants in study roups as follows: group 1: 5.25% NaOCl group 2: 17% EDTA group 3: NaOCl+EDTA group 4: Lime juice group 5: ethanolic rind extract of C.aurantifolia group 6: 96% ethanol. Dentin chips were collected from inner and outer layers of dentinal walls and optical density was measured. The data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA and Tamhane tests.
Results: In outer layer of dentin, the efficacy of rind extract was less than that of NaOCl+EDTA (P<0.05). Also Lime juice was less effective than EDTA, NaOCl and NaOCl+EDTA (P<0.05). In inner layer of dentin, Lime juice was significantly less effective than NaOCl and NaOCl+EDTA (P<0.05). The efficacy of rind extract was less than that of NaOCl+EDTA (P<0.05).
Conclusion: In the presence of smear layer, the antimicrobial activity of Lime juice was less than that of NaOCl but the efficacy of rind extract was similar to that of NaOCl.