Evaluating the physical properties of one novel and two well-established epoxy resin-based root canal sealers

Objectives: Despite the variety of root canal sealers on the market, an ideal root canal sealer has not been developed. A new epoxy resin sealer, BJM Root Canal Sealer, contains a quaternary amine macromolecule, Biosafe, which provides anti-biofilm features. The aim of the present study was to perform an in vitro evaluation and comparison of the physical properties of this novel endodontic epoxy resin-based sealer (BJM Root Canal Sealer) with those of AH Plus and MM-Seal. Materials and methods: Flow, working time and solubility were evaluated based on the ISO 6876/2012 standards. Dimensional change was assessed based on the ISO 6876/2001 standards. The physical properties were analysed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results: The tested sealer flows were consistent with the ISO 6876/2012 recommendations. The dimensional changes of the tested sealers were inconsistent with the ISO 6876/2001 recommendations. The AH Plus sealer exhibited a lower flow than the other sealers (P 0.05). The MM-Seal sample featured the lowest working time and highest dimensional change compared with the other sealers (P 0.05). Solubility tests showed that AH Plus and BJM Root Canal Sealer have solubilities within the limit allowed by the ISO 6876/2012 recommendations (3% mass fraction). Conclusions: BJM Root Canal Sealer presented physicochemical properties that were similar to the AH Plus sealer. The physicochemical properties of BJM Root Canal Sealer conformed to the ISO 6876/2012 recommendations, except for the dimensional change, which did not fulfil the ISO 6876/2001 recommendations, as seen in all tested sealers. Keywords: epoxy sealer, physical properties, root canal sealer