The Efficacy of Er:YAG Laser-Activated Shock Wave-Enhanced Emission Photoacoustic Streaming Compared to Ultrasonically Activated Irrigation and Needle Irrigation in the Removal of Bioceramic Filling Remnants from Oval Root Canals-An Ex Vivo Study

Gabrijela Kapetanović Petričević; Marko Katić; Valentina Brzović Rajić; Ivica Anić; Ivona Bago

doi:10.3390/bioengineering9120820

The Efficacy of Er:YAG Laser-Activated Shock Wave-Enhanced Emission Photoacoustic Streaming Compared to Ultrasonically Activated Irrigation and Needle Irrigation in the Removal of Bioceramic Filling Remnants from Oval Root Canals-An Ex Vivo Study

Bioengineering (Basel). 2022 Dec 19;9(12):820. doi: 10.3390/bioengineering9120820.

Authors

Gabrijela Kapetanović Petričević¹, Marko Katić², Valentina Brzović Rajić³, Ivica Anić¹, Ivona Bago¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Endodontics and Restorative Dental Medicine, School of Dental Medicine, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia.
² Department of Materials, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia.
³ Department of Dental Diseases, Dentistry Clinic, University Hospital Centre, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia.

Abstract

The removal of filling material is important for successful root canal retreatment. The aim of the study was to compare the efficiency of two activated irrigation techniques, the shock wave-enhanced emission photoacoustic streaming (SWEEPS) mode of the Er:YAG laser and ultrasonically activated irrigation (UAI) and a conventional syringe-needle technique (SNI), in the removal of bioceramic sealer/gutta-percha during conventional retreatment in oval root canals. The study sample consisted of distal root canals of 42 extracted human mandibular molars, which were prepared using a ProTaper Next system up to size 40/0.06 and filled with bioceramic sealer using a single-cone obturation technique. The teeth were then re-treated with a Reciproc Blue RB40 file and 3% sodium hypochlorite solution. The prepared teeth were randomly divided into three groups (n = 14 per group) and subjected to one of the three irrigation methods. Micro-CT scans were performed at different stages to assess the amount of filling material after each retreatment phase. The results of the study showed that all the tested irrigation techniques reduced a statistically significant amount of the remnant filling material at retreatment (p < 0.05), and there were no statistically significant differences in efficacy between the three methods. All tested techniques had similar efficacy in the removal of the remaining filling remnants.

Keywords: Er:YAG laser; active irrigation; filler; oval root canal; retreatment.

Grants and funding

There are no financial or non-financial conflicts of interest regarding this study. This study was performed and financed within the research project Croatian Science Foundation “Experimental and clinical evaluation of laser- activated photoacoustic streaming and photoactivated disinfection in endodontic treatment” N0 5303.