AH Plus root canal sealer - an updated literature review

Aim: To review the literature over the last 10 years on AH Plus, focusing on physicochemical properties, penetration of dentinal tubules, influence on the resistance to vertical root fracture, adhesion, antibacterial effect, biocompatibility, tooth discolouration, retreatability and the effect of increased temperature. Methodology: An electronic search in the database PubMed for 2005 to 2014 was performed using the search term 'AH Plus'. Only original research publications were selected; reviews, case reports, studies not focusing on sealers and studies dealing with sealing ability or where leakage of sealers was investigated were excluded. Results: 610 publications were found from which 180 were selected for this review. There was great variance in the results of these studies. Concerning penetration into dentinal tubules, adhesion to the root canal wall, antibacterial effects, biocompatibility, removal during retreatment, effect of increased temperature, AH Plus performed equal or even superior compared to other sealers. Setting time and dimensional change did not completely fulfill the requirements of the ISO 6876 and ANSI/ADA No. 57 specifications in all studies. Discolouration may appear after application of AH Plus into the pulp chamber. Conclusion: Most of the studies confirmed that AH Plus fulfills the requirements of a root canal filling material as defined by the specifications for root canal filling materials and the guidelines of the European Society of Endodontology (ESE). Keywords: adhesion, AH Plus, biocompatibility, physicochemical properties, root canal sealer