Analysis of two different methods to measure dye inflitration in apicoplasties with retrograde root filling

Abstract

Different methods have been used in studies on marginal infiltration caused by staining dye with the purpose of evaluating the efficiency of dental materials employed in apicoplasties with retrograde root filling. Apicoplasty consists of flattening the root apex eliminating the need of root amputation, maintaining its correct shape. Objective: The objective of the present study was to evaluate the results of infiltration of rhodamine B 1% in an experimental group, comparing the dye depth penetration with the impregnation area in the same samples that underwent apicoplasties with retrograde root filling. Methods: The samples included 12 human upper canine teeth endodontically treated and retro-obturated using MTA. For sample analysis, the Image ToolTM software was used to perform computerized morphometry. Results: The results showed a low standard deviation (4.79) regarding area measurement, and high standard deviation (15.05) in terms of measurement of the dye depth penetration. The Mann-Whitney test showed statistically significant differences between the groups (p < 0.0001). Conclusion: The use of the dye stained area, instead of the dye depth penetration, proved to be a better choice for measuring marginal infiltration scores according to the methodological parameters used in the present study. Key words: Dental leakage. Marginal adaptation. Retrograde obturation.