COMPARATIVE EVALUATION OF THE DISSOLVING EFFECT OF RC SOLVE, EUCALYPTUS OIL AND G-SOL ON AH PLUS ROOT CANAL SEALER - AN INVITRO STUDY

Context: Use of root canal solvents has increased the success rate of endodontic retreatment and it has made the procedure faster and simpler. Aims: During retreatment, a solvent facilitates the removal of obturation material and root canal sealer by softening it, so as to obtain a root canal free of debris and microorganisms. Hence an invitro study was done to evaluate and compare the dissolving effect of RC Solve, Eucalyptus oil and G-sol on AH Plus Root Canal Sealer. Methods and Material: Thirty standardized stainless-steel rings filled with AH Plus sealer manipulated according to manufacturers instructions were prepared and placed ten minutes for complete setting in an incubator at 37°C for 48 hours and weighed to obtain the initial weight. The samples were divided into three equal groups of 10 each and immersed in RC Solve, Eucalyptus oil and G-sol for 10 minutes and dried in an incubator at 37°C for 24 hours and weighed again for final weight. The amount of sealer lost was determined by calculating the difference between initial and final weight. Results: The dissolving effect of AH Plus sealer on all three solvents showed a marked amount of weight loss (p<0.05). The best dissolving capability on AH Plus sealer was exhibited by Eucalyptus oil followed by RC Solve and least for G-Sol. The result of the ANOVA with a p-value of 0.004 indicated a significant difference of weight change of AH Plus sealer after immersion into RC Solve, Eucalyptus Oil and G-Sol. Conclusions: Based on the findings of this study, it was concluded that Eucalyptus oil has a slightly better solvent effect.