Physicochemical Evaluation of Bioactivated Zinc Oxide and Eugenol Based Sealer Using Cement Bypass Dust

Abstract

Zinc oxide eugenol based sealers are the oldest type of sealers used in root canal treatment, Irrespective of the introduction of recent materials, ZOE has retained it’s position in endodontics, Despite of it’s known advantages (antibacterial and biocompatibility property), it lacks bioactivity and reminerlizing effects to interacts with the surrounding tissues thus improving it’s sealing efficiency. Other disadvantages include the long setting time and high solubility. On the other hand, cement bypass dust comes in huge amounts as a byproduct from the white Portland cement industries in Egypt. This in vitro study was thus conducted to add CBPD to ZOE endodontic sealer in a trial to bioactivate it and then to asses some of it’s physicochemical properties. One commercially available antibacterial ZOE based root canal sealer was chosen due to it’s availability and wide spread use in Egypt. Cement bypass dust as bioactive filler was received from Suez Cement Company. The bypass dust powder was characterized using X-ray fluorescent analysis (XRF) and X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) to determine the exact chemical composition of the powder.