‘Examining and comparing the setting reaction of an epoxy based novel endodontic sealer to the industry standard commercial sealer’

Abstract

This study investigates the polymerisation behaviour and setting characteristics of epoxy-based endodontic sealers, focusing on formulations incorporating polyethylene glycol (PEG) and comparing them to the commercially available AH Plus sealer. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) were employed to evaluate the degree of epoxy conversion and the effects of PEG on curing kinetics. The addition of 25% PEG to the sealer formulation significantly accelerated the epoxy conversion process, achieving a higher conversion rate and faster setting time compared to other experimental formulations. FTIR analysis revealed that the PEG-modified formulation exhibited superior polymerisation efficiency, with an 86.7% epoxy conversion within 72 hours, indicating its potential for clinical use. However, due to technical limitations, DSC analysis was restricted to a control sample and AH Plus, with results indicating higher epoxy conversion rates than those observed via FTIR, though both techniques showed consistent trends. The study concludes that incorporating PEG into epoxy-based sealers enhances their curing speed and handling properties, making them more suitable for clinical application. The findings suggest that PEG-modified sealers could offer improved flow characteristics and better adaptation to complex root canal anatomy, thus optimising endodontic treatment outcomes. Future work should include comprehensive in vivo testing to validate these results and further refine the formulation.