The aim of this study was to assess the effect of three root canal irrigation solutions on the apical sealing ability of three root canal obturation materials: gutta-percha/AH plus or MM-seal and Resilon/ Epiphany SE. A total of 100 teeth with single straight root canals were randomly divided into three equal groups of 30 samples each, with the other 10 teeth (5 positive and 5 negative) used as controls. Each irrigation group was divided into three groups according to the use of three different root canal obturation materials (n = 10): Gutta-percha with AH plus or MM-seal, Resilon with Epiphany SE. The crowns were removed at the cementoenamel junction with a diamond disc under water coolant. The root canals were prepared using step-back technique and irrigation with either sodium hypochlorite (2.5%), chlorhexidine (2%), or MTAD solutions. The roots were obturated with lateral condensation technique using one of the obturation materials. The root surfaces was coated with two layer nail varnish (except apex), placed in 2% methylene blue dye solution, and centrifuged at 3,000 rpm for 5 minutes. Irrigation solutions affected the apical sealing ability of all the sealers. The chlorhexidine irrigation solution exhibited higher apical leakage values than did MTAD and NaOCl in all canal sealers, although the MTAD irrigation solution groups showed the least leakage values. The apical sealing ability of AH plus, Epiphany SE and MM-seal root canal sealers decreased when the chlorhexidine was used as an irrigation solution.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of F-File with NaOCl on removal of the smear layer. A total of 48 single-rooted teeth were instrumented using crown-down technique with one of the irrigation agents: distilled water, 5.25% NaOCl, RC-Prep, Glyde, MTAD or F-File with NaOCl. The remaining smear layer was scored at cervical, middle and apical thirds of the roots with SEM. In all the canals of experimental groups the coronal sections were cleaner than the middle and apical sections except with distilled water (P<0.001). In the coronal third, intensive smear layer was observed in distilled water, NaOCl and F-File groups and less smear layer in MTAD (P<0.05) and least in RC-Prep and Glyde groups. In the middle third, RC-Prep and Glyde groups had less smear layer than the other groups (P<0.001). In the apical third, there was intensive smear layer in all specimens and statistical analyses showed no significant difference among the groups (P>0.05). The F-file failed to improve the effect of NaOCl in removing smear layer.