Study of the radiopacity of the endodontic obturation cements carried out with a digital system

Abstract

In the present study, the radiopacity of five root canal obturation cements was evaluated using direct digital radiography with the help of a sensor and software allowing instant and digitalized imaging. The obturators cements studied were: Ah Plus, Top Seal, AD Seal, Sealapex and Endomethasone N. Three acrylic plates of a millimeter thickness were made, with six circumferences of 5 mm in diameter, where the obturator cements were placed, in which as a control group we used the gutta-percha. The acrylic plates were radiographed with a digital radiography system, 70Kvp/2mAswith an exposure time of 0.8 seconds at a distance of 40 cm, the images were saved in format in digital file, for the analysis we used Image Tool for Windows v.3.00 software in a standardized area of 3000 pixels. With the values in pixels obtained we established the average of the radiopacity where the order of the cements from highest to lowest were: AH Plus, Endomethasone N, Top Seal, AD Seal and Sealapex. All these cements had greater radiopacity than dentin and only AH Plus was greater than gutta-percha.