Effects of two different chelation solutions and activation protocols on the push-out bond strength of a bioceramic sealer

Introduction: This study evaluated the effects of glycolic acid (GA) and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) chelation solutions on the push-out bond strength of AH Plus Bioceramic Sealer when activated using passive ultrasonic irrigation (PUI) and XP-endo Finisher (XPF) activation protocols. Materials and Methods: A total of 48 similarly sized extracted mandibular premolars were randomly assigned to four groups (n = 12). All canals were prepared using Reciproc (25.08) instruments. Irrigation was performed using 5 ml of 5% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) between instruments, totaling 20 ml of NaOCl per canal. The teeth were divided into four groups for the final irrigation: Group 1: GA+PUI; Group 2: GA+XPF; Group 3: EDTA+PUI; and Group 4: EDTA+XPF. NaOCl was activated for 1 minute in all groups, followed by chelator activation for 30 seconds with the designated activation system. Canals were filled using the single-cone technique and AH Plus Bioceramic Sealer. The samples were incubated for one week. A single horizontal middle dentin section of 2 ± 0.1 mm thickness was prepared from each root. Push-out bond strength was tested using a universal testing machine with a loading rate of 0.5 mm/min. The data were analyzed using the Kruskal–Wallis H and Mann–Whitney U tests, with a p < 0.05 significance level. Results: There were no statistically significant differences among the GA+PUI, GA+XPF, EDTA+PUI, and EDTA+XPF groups (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Both EDTA and GA showed similar bond strength effectiveness when activated by either irrigation activation system.