Comparison of root canal walls cleanliness obturated with two commercially available; calcium silicate sealers and a resin sealer after retreatment

Background: Despite improvements and advances in materials and methods, root canal treatment is not always satisfactory. After completing the obturation procedures, retreatment might be mandatory in cases of reinfection or inappropriately cleaned root canal. Retreatment strategy involves elimination of the obturating material, and then the whole mechanical and filling procedures are repeated again. Thus, root canal sealers removal shouldn’t represent an obstacle. Objective: The current study aimed is to investigate and observe the cleanliness of root canal walls that were previously obturated with two types of calcium silicate bioceramic sealers compared to a resin sealer. Materials and Methods: 21 single-rooted premolars were utilized. After complete removal of the obturating materials using Protaper retreatment universal system, the roots were cut by the use of a hammer and a chisel, then the middle third of the retreated canals were observed under a scanning electron microscope at magnification 1000x, the amount of clear, opened dentinal tubules was compared. Results: Among the three investigated sealers, ADSEAL showed the largest number of clear dentinal tubules while, a fewer open dentinal tubule were observed with Well Root and Ceraseal. Conclusions: None of the investigated sealers could be totally removed from root canal walls. However, the quantity of remnants of root filling material with well root and ceraseal were significantly more, compared to ADSEAL.