Analysis of the endodontic cement line in the apical region

Apical sealing is one of the decisive factors for a successful endodontic treatment. Objectives: The objective of the present study was to evaluate in vitro the thickness of the cement line in the apical region of two endodontic cements respectively consisting of epoxy-resin and zinc oxide-eugenol. Methods: Twenty palatine roots of the first upper molars were submitted to instrumentation up to a #40 file by the step-back technique and irrigated with 2 ml NaOCl after each change of file. The roots were divided at random into two groups of 10 elements each and one group was sealed with the Sealer 26 cement and the other with the EndoFill cement using the classical technique. The roots were abraded in the apical region until exposure of the filling and cut crosswise at 3 mm to obtain samples. The samples were analyzed by light microscopy with 40X magnification. The images obtained were recorded using the Adobe Premiere 5.1 software and submitted to morphometric analysis using an integration grid that permitted the quantitation of the area filled with the sealer or with gutta-percha, and of eventual empty spaces. Results: Statistical analysis of the data revealed no significant differences between the epoxy-resin based cement Sealer 26 (47.85%) and the zinc oxide-eugenol based cement EndoFill (54.16%). Conclusions: We conclude that the two cements tested showed a similar behavior regarding the cement line in the apical region.