EVALUATION OF MICROLEAKAGE AFTER ENDODONTIC FILLING IN TEETH WITH APICAL WIDENING: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Evaluation of microleakage after endodontic filling in teeth with apical widening: a systematic review Endodontic therapy aims at reducing the number of bacteria and their by products in the root canal system, in addition to promoting healing of the periapical tissue through chemical-mechanical preparation, followed by hermetic filling and coronal sealing. The appropriate degree of apical widening, and its influence on the quality of the endodontic obturation remain controversial. The purpose of this study was to perform a systematic review to investigate the effects of apical widening on apical microleakage after root canal filling. The eligible study design was ex vivo models. Electronic searches were conducted in PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, SciELO, and Cochrane Library up to April 2022. Six studies meeting the inclusion criteria were selected for qualitative analysis. The relationship between apical widening and apical infiltration evaluated in the studies revealead that four studies showed p > 0.05, showing no statistical difference between apical size and increased infiltration, while two studies showed p < 0.05, showing a difference between the groups. According to the results of the studies evaluated in this systematic review apical enlargement alone does not influence an increase in apical infiltration after obturation. However, further randomized clinical trial studies are needed to corroborate this finding.