Time-Dependent Volumetric and Porosity Changes of Bioceramic, Silicone Bioactive Glass-Based, and Epoxy Resin-Based Root Canal Sealers: A Micro-CT Analysis

Abstract

Objective To evaluate and compare volumetric changes in sealers and porosity of root canals filled with bioceramic, silicone bioactive glass-based, and epoxy resin-based sealers over 60 days. Materials and Methods Eighty extracted mandibular premolars were instrumented with ProTaper Next files (size 40/06) and randomly assigned to five groups (n ¼ 16), each canal filled with one of the following sealers: AH Plus Jet (AHP Jet), GuttaFlow Bioseal (GFB), CeraSeal (CS), EndoSequence BC (ES BC), and AH Plus Bioceramic (AHP Bioceramic). All canals were obturated using the matched single-cone technique. The change in sealer volume and porosity was assessed by micro-CT (n ¼ 10/group) at 2, 30, and 60 days post-obturation. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) evaluated interfacial adaptation at each time point (n ¼ 2/group/time). Statistical Analysis Sealer volumetric changes, open, and total pores were normally distributed (Shapiro–Wilk test, p > 0.05). Two-way repeated measures ANOVA evaluated the interaction between sealer type and post-obturation time on sealer volumetric change and porosity. One-way ANOVA compared differences among sealers at each time point. Changes within each sealer over time were assessed using paired t-tests for two time points or repeated measures ANOVA with Bonferroni post hoc tests for comparisons involving three time points. Kruskal–Wallis and Friedman tests analyzed the closed pores. Results After setting, AHP Jet exhibited volumetric shrinkage, whereas bioceramic and silicone bioactive glass-based sealers showed volumetric expansion; however, statistically significant volumetric changes beyond 30 days were observed only for GFB (p ¼ 0.011). Regarding porosity, bioceramic and bioactive glass-based sealers demonstrated significant reductions from 2 to 30 days (p < 0.05), with reductions observed across all time points in GFB (p < 0.05), whereas AHP Jet showed a significant increase