Comparison of the sealing capabilities of Ketac-silver and extra high copper alloy amalgam when used as retrograde root canal filling.

Apical microleakage following reverse retrograde root filling with extra high copper amalgam alloy was compared with that following a silver-glass ionomer retrofilling. The root canals of 56 extracted, single-rooted anterior human teeth were instrumented and obturated with laterally condensed gutta-percha and zinc oxide-eugenol sealer. Each tooth was apically resected at 45 degrees to its long axis and the root surface isolated with nail varnish. Teeth were divided into three groups. The first group received extra high copper amalgam retrograde fillings, the second group was retrofilled with a silver-glass ionomer, and the control group had no retrograde root filling placed. Following immersion in 1% methylene blue dye at 37 degrees C, the roots were sectioned and dye penetration was measured using an image analyzer. The sealing effectiveness of these materials was determined by their ability to inhibit dye penetration at 24 and 48 h. The results of this study show that a silver glass-ionomer is just as effective as extra high copper amalgam in terms of sealing capability. There was no statistically significant difference between the two materials.