Objectives: Root canal sealers are widely used worldwide in endodontics to prevent reinfection and growth of surviving microorganisms. Considering the strong correlation between genetic damage and carcinogenesis, evaluation of genotoxicity induced by endodontic sealers is recommended for elucidating the true health risks to patients and professionals. The purpose of this article was to provide a comprehensive review of studies involving genotoxicity analysis of endodontic sealers and the used methodologies.
Materials and methods: A literature search was made in PubMed using the following combination of words "genotoxicity," "mutagenicity," "endodontic sealers," and "root canal sealers." A total of 39 articles with genotoxicity studies were selected for the present study.
Results: Sealers have been ranked in decreasing order of their genotoxicity as: ZOE sealers > GIC sealers > S sealers > ER sealers > MR sealers > Novel sealers > CH sealers > CS sealers.
Conclusions: All published data showed some evidence of genotoxicity for most of the commercial root canal sealers; however, contradictory results were found, mainly for AH Plus, the most studied sealer.
Clinical relevance: The information provided would direct the endodontists to use the less genotoxic materials in endodontic treatment in a way to reduce DNA damage promoting oral healthcare.
Keywords: Comet assay; Endodontic sealers; Micronucleus test; Mutagenicity.