Background and aims. Various materials and methods have been introduced for obturating cleaned and shaped root canal systems. This in vitro study aimed to evaluate the sealing ability of single-cone obturation technique with mineral trioxide aggregate and calcium-enriched mixture based on bacterial leakage approach. Materials and methods. Sixty-four single-canal teeth were prepared and randomly divided into 5 groups, consisting of three experimental groups (n = 16) and two control groups (n = 8).In group 1, root canal obturation was performed using gutta-percha with 0.02 taper and AH26 sealer by lateral compaction technique. In groups 2 and 3, single Protaper gutta-percha cone was used for obturation with MTA and CEM cement, respectively. A bacterial leakage apparatus was utilized for leakage assessment for 60 days. Leakage comparison between the experimental groups was performed by one-way ANOVA using SPSS 16 statistical software. Results. The mean bacterial leakage intervals in groups 1, 2 and 3 were 33.68 ± 9.39, 40.68 ± 11.03 and 39.56 ± 9.03 days, respectively. One-way ANOVA indicated no significant differences in bacterial leakage between the three experimen-tal groups (P = 0.109). Conclusion. Single-cone obturation with well-fitted gutta-percha and MTA and CEM cement is an appropriate alternative for traditional lateral compaction technique.
Keywords: CEM cement; mineral trioxide aggregate; root canal filling materials; root canal therapy; single-cone obturation.