Solubility, bond strength and sealing ability of Biodentine as a retrograde filling

Background: This study aimed to evaluate Biodentine as a retrograde filling in terms of solubility, bond strength to the root canal dentine, and sealing ability. Biodentine was compared with mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) as a control material. Materials and methods: For the solubility test, samples of 10 mm diameter and 1.5 mm thickness were prepared in Teflon moulds. After setting, specimens were weighed and placed in distilled water and then reweighed after one and three weeks. For bond strength and sealing ability, a total of 32 trimmed roots of 16 mm length from single rooted teeth were used. Roots were prepared with ProTaper Universal instruments. They were obturated using System B and Obtura. Apical 3 mm roots were cut off and retrograde cavities were prepared (3 mm depth and 0.8 mm diameter) and filled with either Biodentine or MTA. Samples were embedded in acrylic blocks and a horizontal section of 2 mm thickness was cut off. Bond strength of each material was measured immediately, and after one and three weeks while placed in saline solution. For sealing ability, fluid filtration test was used. The coronal parts of the roots were embedded in glass ionomer cement except for their apical 3 mm. Results: After 3 weeks' immersion, the solubility of Biodentine was significantly higher compared with MTA. For bond strength, Biodentine showed higher immediate bond strength than MTA; however, after three weeks, the difference was significant in favour of MTA. For sealing ability, Biodentine showed better leakage resistance at zero time, however the difference was statistically insignificant after one and three weeks. Conclusion: Based on the assessment of different physioco-chemical properties Biodentine seems to be an alternative to MTA when used as root end filling material. Keywords: Biodentine, bond strength, fluid filtration, leakage, MTA, push-out, solubility