Influence of bioceramic sealer on the depth of penetration of luting cement in the dentinal tubules: A confocal microscopic study

This study aimed to evaluate the influence of residual bioceramic sealer on the depth of penetration of luting cement in teeth obturated using two different techniques. Twenty-four extracted single-rooted human teeth were decoronated at the cementoenamel junction, and after working length determination, biomechanical preparation was performed using rotary files with irrigation protocols involving 5.25% sodium hypochlorite and 17% EDTA. The samples were randomly divided into two groups (N=12): Group 1-sectional obturation, Group 2-conventional cold lateral compaction. After 24 hours, post spaces were prepared and fiber posts were luted using self-adhesive resin cement mixed with 0.1% Rhodamine B dye. Samples were stored in a water bath for 24 hours, sectioned horizontally into 2 mm slices, and examined under a confocal laser scanning microscope at 20×magnification. Statistical analysis was conducted using the Independent Student's t-test followed by the Mann-Whitney U test. Group 1 demonstrated a significantly greater mean depth of resin cement penetration (308.203 µm) compared to Group 2 (63.099 µm) (p