International Endodontic Journal 0991] 26, 301-305

The penetration of root canal sealers into dentinal tubules. A

scanning electron microscopic study
T, OKSAN, B, 0, AKTENER, B, H. 5EN& H. TEZEL
Department ofEndodontics, Ege Urtiversity Dciitoi Faculty, Bornom, Izmir, Turkey

Summary
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of
smear layer on penetration of four root canal sealers into
dentinal tubules.
Sixty-four, recently extracted, human maxillar}' and
mandibular incisors were used. Following removal ofthe
crowns, the pulps were extirpated and the root canals
instrumented. The teeth were then divided into two
groups, The teeth in the control group were irrigated with
saline solution and the experiment^ group treated with
EDTA and NaOCI, Each main group was then divided into
four sub-groups and the root canals illed with Diaket, N2
Universal, SPAD and Forfenan as recommended by the
manufacturers. The teeth were split longitudinally and
examined using scanning electron microscopy, A quantitative assessment was made ofsealer penetration Into the
dentinal tubules in the coronal, middle and apicai parts
of each root canal.
It was observed that the smear layer obstructed the
penetration of the tubules by the sealers. However, in
the experimental group, the penetration into dentinal
tubules was better with Diaket, N2 and SPAD, than with
Forfenan (P< 0,01),
It was concluded thai this penetration could be
affected by physical and chemical properties of root canal
illing materials.
Keywords; dentinal tubules, root canal sealers, scanning
electron microscopy, smear layer.
Introduction
The smear layer has been an important factor in root
canal therapy since the report of McComb & Smith
(1975), They reported that it was a layer of material
which covered the prepared canal walls and occluded
the dentinal tubules, Goldberg & Abramovich (1977),
Wayman et al. {1979} and Berg et al (1986) suggested
Correspondence: Dr Bekir 0. Aktener, Ege Oniversitesi, Dl^hefciraligi
Fakultesi, Bomova Kampiisii, Izmir, Turkiye.

i'ig. 1. Longitudinal view of a specimen from the control group will:

Diaket. Note the openings of dentinai tubules are obstructed witb -iziwcr
material (arrows) and the tisbules are empty (SEM magaification:

that the smear layer might prevent the penetration of

intracanal disinfectants and filling materials into
dentinal tubules, Yamada ct al (1983) reported that
this layer might interfere with the adaptation of filling
materials to the root canal wail, Abramovich & Goldberg
(1976) showed poor penetration of AH26 and Diaket A
into the dentinal tubules, but the presence of smear layer
was not considered in that study.
Irrigation of root canals ivith EDTA followed by NaOCl
solution has been shoivnto be very effective in removing
the smear layer (Goldman et al. 1981, Yamada et al.
1983, Baumgartner & Mader 1987), It has been stated
that removal of the smear layer might improve the
obturation of gutta-percha cones with sealer and lateral
condensation (Kennedy et ai. 1986). White ct al. (1984)
reported that two plastic root eanalfillingmaterials were
able to enter into the dentinal tubules after removal of
the smear layer.
301

302

T. Oksan et al.

Materials and tnethods

Fig, 2. Longitudinal view ofa spedmenfromthe control group with N2

Universal. Note the dentinal tubules nearbj' the filling material are
empty fSEN-I magnification: xl 600) (fX = dentiaal tubules; S = sealer).

Fig. 3, Longitudinal riew of a spedmen from the control group with

SPAD. Note the dentinal tubules nearb}- the Wiling material are empty
(SBM magoification: x] 600).

This Study was performed in order to ei^aluate the

effect of smear layer on penetration of different root
canal sealers into dentinal tubules.

Sixty-four sound human, recently extracted, upper

and lower incisors were used in this study. The crowns
were removed at the amelo-cemental junction and the
pulps extirpated with broaches. The roots w^ere grooved
longitudinally on the buccal and lingual surfaces. A size
15 file was then inserted into the root canal until it was
seen at the apical foramen; 1 mm was subtracted from
this length in order to determine the working length.
Standard instrumentation of the root canals was performed hy using size 1 5-50 K-type files with circumferential filing (Weine 1989). Irrigation tvith 1 mlof5,25%
NaOCI v^'as used between each instrument. After completion of instrumentatioa, the teeth were randomly
apportioned into two main groups as control and experimental. The teeth in the control group were irrigated
with 20 ml of saline solution by using a 2 5-gauge needle
placed up to tivo-thirds of the length of the root canai.
The teeth in the experimental group ivere irrigated with
10 ml of EDTA (disodium salt of EDTA, 1 7 g: 5 N sodium
hydroxide solution, 9.25 ml: distilled water, 100 ml)
followed by 10 ml of 5.2 5 % N aOCl in the same manner
as described for the control group. After irrigation, the
root canals were dried with paper points. Each main
group was then divided into four sub-groups according
to the sealer used.
The canals in sub-group ] were filled with Diaket
lEspe Gmbh: Seefeld, Germany), sub-group 2 with N2
Universal (Indrag Agsa SA, Losone, Switzerland), subgroup 3 with SPAD (SPAD, Quetigny, France) and subgroup 4 with Forfenan (Septodont, St Maur, France) by
using a spiral filler rotating at 5000 r,p,m, in a contraangle handpiece. Manufacturers' recommendations
were followed during mixing and filling.
The access cav'ities were closed with Cavit (Espe Gmbh,
Seefeld, Germany) and the filling materials were aliotved
to set for 48 h at 37C and 100% humidity. The teeth
were then split carefully into two halves with a hammer
and chisel. The paired halves were prepared for scanning
electron microscopic evaluation. The specimens were
vacuum-dried, coated with gold and viewed with a
Cambridge Stereoscan S-410 electron microscope
(Cambridge, UK). The penetration offillingmaterials into
dentinal tubuies was examined and an assessment made
as to whether the material in the dentinal tubules was
sealer or smear plugs by comparing it with the bulk ofthe
sealer in the root canal.
All specimens were completely examined and photomicrographs were taken from the coronal, middle and
apical thirds at xlBOO magnification. The penetration

Penetration of sealers into derttinal tubules

303

Table I, Distribution of penetration scores in the experimental groups (n = 8)

Diaket
N2
SPAD
Forfenan

Apicai

Midtile

Coronal
0

0
0
0
K

0
0
0
0

0
1
J
0

5
7
5
0

3
0
0
0

0
0
0

0
0
3
0

0
0
3
0

7
6
4
0

1
2
0
0

0
0
0
8

0
1
4
0

4
7
4
0

4
0
0
0

0
0
0
0

'':7WlB^WJ:M

I'ig. 4, Uingitudinal view of a specimen from the e.\'per!mental group

uith Diaket. Difluse penetration ofthe filling material (arrows) can be
clearlv seeti (SEM magnification: xl 6001.

Fig. 5. Another speciir.en Irc.iii iW e>:p;Ti:iu-i-.;j. group with Diaket.

The orifices ofthe dentii-.ul tLic^iiii's ;.re (i:;tT. v ::'. the fiUiog material
(SEM magnification X,MI.1'.

into tubules in each third ofthe root canal was graded as

follows 0: no penetration: 1: 1-20 microns; 2: 2 1 ^ 0
microns; 3; 41-60 microns; and 4; more than 60
microns. The mean of 10 readings (representing maximum penetration) was taken in each part of the root
canal, A non-parametric ANOVA test (Kruskal-Wallis)
was used to find the statistical differences among the
results obtained from sealer groups and different regions.

dentine walls. While penetration of smear layer into dentinal tubules was observed in some areas, no penetration
of sealer could be seen (Figs 1-3).

Results
ControJ groups
The teeth in these groups which were irrigated with
saline solution showed varying degrees of smear layer
depending on the contact of the instruments with

Experimental groups
The experimental teeth, where the smear layer had been
removed, showed penetration of tubules by the sealers
(Table 1, Figs 4-7). The penetration of Forfenan was
significantly less than other sealers in all areas (P < 0.01).
While Diaket showed significantly deeper penetration
than N2 Universal and SPAD in all thirds (P<0,05)
except N2 Universal in the middle portion, there were no
significant differences between the coronai and apical
thirds for N2 Universal and SPAD (P>0.05), Tubular

304

r, Oksan et al.
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Discussion

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Fig, 6, A specimen from the experimental group with SPAD, Diffuse

penetration of the filling material (arrows) can be dearly seen (SEM
magnification: xl600).

None of the sealers penetrated into dentinal tubules in

the control groups. This was expected as the smear layer
occludes the dentinal tubules. White et al (1984, 1987)
found similar results with plastic filling materials. They
stated that the presence of smear layer prevented the
entry of the filling materials into dentinal tubules. After
root filling with gutta-percha and zinc-oxide/eugenol
sealer, Lester & Boyde (1977) observed that the sealer
could not penetrate the tubules owing to the presence of
blocked dentinal tubules by smear material.
The irrigation with EDTA folioived by NaOCl removed
smear layer effectively io this study and confirmed other
studies (Goldman et al. 1981, Yamada et al 1983,
Baumgartner & Mader 1987), After removal of this
layer, Diaket, N2 Universal and SPAD showed tubular
penetration to some extent. Since Forfenan could not
penetrate into dentinal tubules, it was considered that
flow of this material was inefficient and its surface activity
was not low enough to enter Into the dentinal tubules.
After studying with surface-active reagents, Aktener efaZ.
(1989) concluded that root canal filling materials should
have low surface activity or an adequate surface-active
reagent should be added to them io order to obtain optimum penetration, but using a paste or sealer only, root
filling may have major disadvantages clinically (Ingle
1985). If lateral or vertical condensation techniques
with gutta-percha points had been used in this study, the
penetration of the sealers into deotinal tubules might
have been improved.
The results ofthe study suggest that the chemical and
physical characteristics of root canal sealers may affect
tubular penetration and adaptation of the material to
the root canal m'all following the removal ofsmear layer.
As concluded by Cergneux e,i al (1987), increased surface contact between root canal wall and the sealer may
improve the apical seal.
Conclusions

Fig, 7, A specimen fron, ;-i. . !! ' u i , : : ,: I'l i:;! " t h F o r f e n a n . There

is n o penetration of t'lv ,:i! i r ,'i..'i . ! 'i?tina! tubules (SEM
magnification: x l 6 0 0 | .

penetration by Diaket, N2 Uni\'ersal and SPAD in the

apicaj third region was also significantly less than the
penetration in the coronal third (P < 0,01).

This study makes the following conclusions:

(1) The presence of smear layer prevented the penetration of root canal filling materials used in this
study into dentioal tubules.
(2) After the removal of smear layer, the penetration
into dentinal tubules was better with Diaket, N2
Universal and SPAD, but not with Forfenan
(3) Chemical and physical properties of the root canal
filling materials may aflect tubular penetration in
the absence of smear layer.

Penetration of sealers into dentinal tiAules

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