JOURNAL OF ENDODONTICS [ VOL 2, NO 6, JUNE 1976

P h y s i c a l p r o p e r t i e s of root canal c e m e n t s

Louis I. Grossman, DDS, DMD, Philadelphia

AH26, Diaket, Kerr sealer, Mynol, N2, N2 no-lead, Procosol, Roth

801, Roth 811, RC2B, Tubliseal, a n d zinc oxide-eugenol cement were
e x a m i n e d for particle size, flow, setting time, adhesion, a n d peripheral
leakage. The results varied in a wide range. An examination of the
d a t a should help the generalist or the endodontist t o w a r d a better
understandinq of the material he is using, a n d should suqqest to
manufacturers opportunities for improving their products.

While the biologic properties of root

canal cements have been studied extensively, the physical properties of
these materials have been investigated
less thoroughly. This paper will deal
with some of the physical properties
of root canal cements---namely particle size, flow, setting time, adhesion,
and dimensional change.
Particle size was evaluated to determine its effect on setting time and
flow. Flow, or the consistency of the
mixed cement enabling it to enter
narrow irregularities in the dentin,
is an important factor in the filling
of lateral or accessory canals. The
setting time was studied to determine
whether the operator would have
enough time to adjust the gutta-percha
or silver cone(s) in the root canal(s)
if it should become necessary to do
so. This is particularly important
when obturating multirooted teeth.
Adhesion, or the physical attachment
of the cement to the canal wall, was
determined because it is a desirable
property of a cement. Finally, the

166

dimensional change of the cement

was determined as exemplified by
leakage of a dye around it.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The materials studied were AH26,*
Diaket,t
Kerr
sealer,$
Mynol,w
N2,[] N2 no-lead, l[ Procosol (nonstaining), RC2B,# Roth 801,**
Roth 811,** Tubliseal,$ and zinc
oxide-eugenol cement.t t
Pm'ticle Size
The size of the particles in the
cement powder was measured indirectly. Microscopic measurement of particle size was not determined because
of the variation in linear dimension
of the various components of a root
canal cement powder. Instead, particle
size was determined by means of a
series of sieves, with the particles
first passing through the finest sieve
(200 mesh or 74p.m) openings (Figs
1 and 2).
Ten milligrams of the powder was
weighed on a Mettler H37 balance$$

and transferred to a 200-mesh sieve.

The sieve was vibrated on an E-Z Flow
vibrators at medium setting for 20
seconds over weighing paper, and the
powder that passed through the sieve
was weighed. This amount was deducted from the original amount and
served as an index of the fineness of
the powder. This procedure was repeated ten times for each cement
powder and then averaged.
Next, 20 mg of the powder was
treated as above for 60 seconds, and
that which passed through the sieve
was allowed to drop into the collecting dish of the 200-mesh sieve. The
dish was weighed before and after the
procedure because some powders
clung electrostatically to the dish and
could not be poured out. The difference in weight was an indication of
the fineness of the powder. Each test
was repeated ten times and then averaged.

Flow
The mixed cement,

which con-

JOURNAL OF ENDODONTICS [ VOL 2, NO 9, JUNE 1976

Fig 2--Le/t, particles greater than

741.tm held back by sieve. Right,
particles that passed through 741zm
openings in sieve and dropped into
collecting dish.
Fig I - - T w o hundred-mesh sieve on
vibrator used to determine particle
size.

sisted of three drops of liquid and

enough powder to pass the three tests
of consistency, was gathered up from
the mixing slab and transferred to a
small area on a polished glass plate
measuring 30 26 0.6 cm. The glass
plate had been previously cleaned
thoroughly with equal parts of ethyl
alcohol and ether. The glass plate
then was stood vertically and held in
this position by a clamp on a ring
stand. The extent of flow was measured in centimeters after 24 hours
(Fig 3). Each test was repeated a~
minimum of ten times and then averaged.
Setting Time

Fig

3~Top,

/low o/

cements at ambient temperature o/ 72 F and low

humidity. Bottom, /low o/
same cements at ambient
temperature o/ 84 F and
high humidity.

Each cement was mixed according

to the manufacturer's directions when
given, or else the cement had to pass
a threefold test: offer some resistance
to spatulation; not drop off the spatula in 12 to 15 seconds when the
spatula was held vertically; and string
out for at least 2.5 cm before breaking when the spatula, held horizontally against the mixed cement, was slowly moved away from the slab. Three
drops of liquid, which ordinarily
would be used for a multirooted
tooth, with the required amount of
powder, was used for each test with
the exception of zinc oxide-eugenol,
which required double the amount of
liquid.
Two kinds of tests were used. In
the first test, Dormann spacing washersw167
0.8 m m thick, which have an
outside diameter of 16 mm and an
inside diameter of 6 mm, were attached to a polished glass plate by
means of a sliver of clay. The cement
was dropped into the opening from a
spatula until the open space was filled.
Excess was removed by means of a
knife edge passed over the surface
of the spacers (Fig 4). The setting
time was tested on the half hour,
hour, and successive hours until a
Gillmore needlell I1 made no inden167

JOURNAL OF ENDODONTICS [ VOL 2, NO 6. JUNE 1971

Adhesion

Fig 4--Cements in duplicate or

triplicate being tested for setting time,
using Dormann spacing washers.

Fig 5---Close-up view o[ cylinders

[illed with cement and with ball chain
and O-shaped stop to prevent chain
from coming in contact with glass
slide. Notice wall of clay to prevent
cement from leaking out of cylinders.
tation on the cement. Each test was
repeated a minimum of ten times and
then averaged.
In the second test, a three-drop
mixture of cement was placed on a
glass plate similar to the one used in
the flow study, and the thin layer of
cement that flowed down on the surface of the plate was tested hourly
for indentation and ultimately hardness with a blunt, stiff wire.

168

Microscope glass slides were sandblasted to create a rough surface

somewhat similar to that of the prepared canal. The slide was thoroughly
cleaned with equal parts of ethyl alcohol and ether. A thoroughly clean
stainless steel tube (penicyIinders)
measuring 1 cm in length and having
an internal diameter of 6 m m was
placed on the surface of the glass
slide. Each tube had a collar of clay
around it that rested on the slide and
whose purpose was to prevent leakage of the cement between the tube
and the slide. The freshly mixed cement was then dropped from the
spatula into the tube until it was
about two-thirds full. Two links of a
ball chain were carefully pressed down
into the cement. A stop attached to
the chain limited the depth of insertion of the chain and prevented it
from coming in contact with the slide
(Fig 5). Two tubes were filled in
this manner at each end of the glass
slide, and the slide was placed in an
incubator at 37 C and I 0 0 % relative
humidity for one week to give the
cement maximum time to harden.
The slide then was placed in a retaining slot, and the upper part of
the chain was attached to the main
length of chain, which was looped
over a 10-cm nylon pulley. A t the
other end of the chain a metal breaker was attached to receive weights
ranging from I00 to 1,000 gm (Fig
6). The weights were applied in 100gin increments at about 10- to 15second intervals until the tube containing the cement was dislodged from
the slide. The tests were repeated 20
times and then averaged.

Dimensional Change
Glass tubes 82182
having a capacity
of 20/zl were filled for a distance of
6 to 8 mm with freshly mixed cement. The tubes were placed in aqueous safranin dye, or they were kept

at room temperature for five to seven

days to allow adequate time for the
cement to harden and then placed in
the dye. They were removed, washed
off with tap water to remove excess
dye on the surface, dried, and examined for evidence of penetration
of the dye laterally between the cement and the glass wall (Fig 7). All
tubes were exposed to the dye for 24
hours before being examined.

RESULTS
Particle Size
There was relatively little difference
in determining particle size whether
10 mg of the powder was vibrated
in the 200-mesh sieve for 20 seconds
or 20 mg of powder was used in
the test for 60 seconds. If the results
of the 20-rag samples are divided in
half, comparison with the 10-rag samples is facilitated. While the differences are small, they are generally in
favor of the larger sample. The sequence of the degree of fineness, beginning with the finest, is as follows:
AH26, Roth 811, Kerr sealer, Roth
801, Mynol, RC2B, N2, N2 no-lead,
Procosol, zinc oxide-eugenol, and
Diaket. Because Tubliseal is a paste,
it could not be tested for particle
size. The sequence is the same for
the 10- and the 20-mg groups, except that Kerr sealer and Roth 811
exchange places in the degree of fineness.
The average weight loss, that is,
the difference between the original
amount of powder and the amount
recovered, was an average of 0.5 nag
for the 10-rag group and 0.7 mg for
the 20-rag group. The actual results,
each representing five tests, are shown
in Table 1 and Chart 1.

Flow
F r o m the standpoint of flow, the
cements arrange themselves conveniently into three groups: rapid, mod-

JOURNAL OF ENDODONTICS ] VOL 2, NO 6, JUNE 1976

Fig 7 - - G r o u p of microliter tubes [illed with cements tested for leakage. Notice
flotation o / c e m e n t s in some tubes.

Fig 6 Apparatus used for testing

adhesion of cements. Fourteen cylinders on seven glass slides, in background, to be tested; one slide is
inserted in slot. Left, beaker is suspended from ball chain to receive
weights at right.
erate, and no flow. While there were
some divergences among the ten tests
for each cement, owing to differences
in the mixes made on different days
(which were affected by varying temperature and humidity), the flow patterns were singularly uniform. AH26,
Mynol, Roth 801, and Roth 811 are
in the rapid-flow group. K e r r sealer,
Procosol, and Tubliseal are in the
moderate category. Diaket, N2, N2
no-lead, RC2B, and zinc oxide-eugenol had no flow. (Table 2, Chart 2).
There was no correlation between
particle size and flow rate.

Settinq Time
Both high temperature and high
humidity decreased the setting time.
Some cements set within the hour

while others took days to set. The

range of setting time for the different
cements is very wide, the spread being from 1 to 40 hours at ambient
temperature. The time from indentation (a depression in the cement that
remained after the Gillmore needle
was applied) to hard setting of the
cement also varied. F o r example, it
took 1 89 hours from indentation to
hard setting for Mynol cement, and
17 hours for zinc oxide-eugenol. Sequence of the cements in the order
of setting time from fast to slow is
as follows: K e r r sealer, Tubliseal, Mynol, RC2B, N2, N2 no-lead, Diaket,
Roth 811, Roth 801, zinc oxideeugenoI, AH26, and Procosol (Table
3, Chart 3).
Because the cement films that
flowed down on the glass plate were
thicker than those in the Dormann
spacing washers, it took longer for
the cement to attain hardness. Essentially, however, the sequence was
the same, with Kerr sealer and Tubliseal taking the lead, followed by Mynol, RC2B, N2, N2 no-lead, Roth
811, Roth 801, AH26, Procosol,
Diaket, and zinc oxide-eugenol.

Adhesion

showed superior adhesive properties

on the roughened surface of the glass
slide. None of the other cements approached their ability to remain attached to the slides. They resisted
dislodgement even when weights up
to 1,200 gm were used. Occasionally
it required 800 gm to dislodge a zincoxide-type resin cement, but this did
not occur often. The order of sequence in ability of the cements to
resist dislodgement, from most adhesive to least adhesive, is as follows:
AH26, Diaket, Mynol, Roth 801,
Roth 811, K e r r sealer, Procosol,
Tubliseal, N2, N 2 no-lead, RC2B.
Zinc oxide-eugenol cement showed no
adhesion even after setting for a week
at 37 C and 100% relative humidity.
The average of 20 tests for each cement and the range are given in Table
4 and Chart 4.

Dimensional Change
The determination of dimensional
change, or peripheral leakage, was
very difficult because shrinkage did
not occur uniformly in the tubes. The
degree of shrinkage also varied slightly with different batches of the cement that were prepared at different
times under varying conditions of

The two plastics, AH26 and Diaket,

169

JOURNAL OF ENDODONTICS I VOL 2, NO 6, JUNE 1976

temperature and humidity, similar to

those in clinical practice. One might
compare the cement-glass junction in
the microliter tubes to the location of
the cementodentinal junction near the
apical foramen, which may vary as
much as 1 mm when one surface
is compared with another. Nevertheless, a general deduction can be made
that some cements showed more leakage than others in repeated tests.
Diaket, Kerr sealer, Procosol,
Tubliseal, Roth 80t, Roth 811, and
RC2B showed the least amount of
dimensional change when immersed
in the dye immediately after being
mixed, showing less than 1 mm of
penetration of the dye. N2, N2 nolead, AH26, Mynol and zinc oxideeugenol showed greater leakage than
the aforementioned, in that order,
with the last showing the greatest dimensional change (Table 5, Chart 5).
All of the root canal cements displayed a greater degree of leakage
when set at room temperature for
from five to seven days as compared
with the freshly mixed cements, which
is indicative of contraction with the
passage of time. A t times the leakage of the dye around the cement
occurred very irregularly, either linearly along one wall of the tube for
a longer or shorter distance, or spirally, so that it was difficult to measure
the distance the dye had penetrated.
In a few samples the bulk of the
cement was floated up into the tube
by the dye (Table 5, Chart 5).

Table 1 9 Particle size (74 #m of cements).

Average mg recovered
from I0 nag
9.r
(20 secs)

Average mg recovered
from 20 mg
(60 secs)
17.3

6.8

2.8

0.5
6~2
4.5
2~6
2.8

16.9
9.6
5.5
5.5
3.5
12.7
12.9
8.0
NT
3.0

i.8

6.2
6.7
3.7

811

S\

DISCUSSION

":

i!i iiii!, ii i'i i

i i84 :::...... ii! i

"" .......
~

.....

number of:milligrams recovered from 2 0 g m (top)

!:iO gm (bottom) of cement powders illustrates particle size.

170

N o r m a n and others t found a direct relationship between particle size

and setting time of zinc oxide-eugenol-type cements. The complexity in
composition and formulation of root
canal cements affects and determines
the setting time. In most cases, not
more than 50% to 60% of the cement powder is composed of zinc
oxide. Almost all contain a certain

JOURNAL OF ENDODONTICS [ VOL 2, NO 6, JUNE 1976

Table 2 9 A v e r a g e flow of cements In centimeters.

Cement
AH 26
Diaket
Kerr sealer
Mynol
N2
N2 no-lead
Procosol
Roth 801
Roth 811
RC2B
Tubliseal
Zinc oxide-eugenol

Centimeters

Range

22.3
NF*
4.1
17.7
NF
NF
15.1
20.0
16.2
NF
4.5
NF

19.2-25.5
NF
2.2-5.3
10.8-22.8
NF
NF
12.3-20.2
14.0-25.0
12.2-19.0
NF
2.5-6.3
NF

20

15

i:~:!:~:~:.~
10

*No glow.
percentage of synthetic resin or natural rosin; some contain bismuth subnitrate to accelerate the setting of the
cement while others contain sodium
borate to retard it; and still others
contain both of these ingredients to
bring about a balance between too
rapid or too slow a setting time.
In this study there was no correlation between particle size and setting
time. F o r example, although Diaket
contains the coarsest particles in the
powder, it set in much less time than
AH26, which has the finest powder
and set next to the longest time of
any of the cements. Even if we compare zinc oxide-eugenol-type cements
we find that although K e r r sealer and
Roth 801 have the same particle size,
the former sets in an hour while the
latter has a setting time of about 20
hours.
Particle size is an important factor,
however, in the actual mixing of the
cement. The smaller the particle size,
the easier it is to mix the cement, the
less time it takes, and the mixed cement is likely to be smoother and
flow better. Although Procosol and
Roth 811 are made of nearly the
same formula, the latter mixes more
easily and has greater flow.
There was considerable variation in
flow, from AH26, which continued
its flow almost to the bottom of the

"I"

Q)

>.

~
0

~
0

~0

Chart 2----Average flow o[ cements in centimeters.

polished glass plate (22.3 cm), to
Diaket, N2, N2 no-lead, RC2B, and
zinc oxide-eugenol, which did not
flow at all. Flow is not dependent on
consistency because all cements were
mixed to about the same consistency,
nor is it related entirely to particle
size, although this would appear to
be a factor in some cases.
The flow properties of a cement
depend partly on the ingredients composing the cement and partly on setting time. This is particularly pertinent
to flow of cements in the root canal
where the setting time is greatly accelerated compared with the setting
time on the glass slab. Flow can be
improved by pressure. Weisman 2 has
aptly pointed out that a cement which
does not have much flow is less likely
to fill in the nooks and crannies along
the canal surface while one that flows
too freely is likely to overshoot the
apical f o r a m e n . U s i n g another method
in this study from that of Weisman to

determine flow, there is both agreement and disagreement in some of

the results obtained.
Wiener and Schilder a determined
the effect of temperature and humidity on setting time and found that
both of these factors affected the rate
of setting of the cement. As temperature and humidity were increased, setting time was decreased. Their findings have been confirmed in this
study.
Commercial zinc oxide variably affects the setting time of root canal
cements, depending on the method of
chemical preparation and on the
s o u r c e - - w h e t h e r from zinc ore or
zinc blend. Smith 4 found a differential of between 14 and 55 minutes
setting time of zinc oxide-eugenol cement, depending on the process of
manufacturing the zinc oxide. Absorption of moisture from the air by
either zinc oxide or root canal cement will accelerate the setting time.
171

JOURNAL OF ENDODONTICS [ VOL 2, NO 6, JUNE 1976

Higginbotham 5 found that Diaket,

Kerr sealer, and Tubliseal hardened
in from 20 to 24 minutes while Procosol did not harden at all for the
duration of the tests. Wiener and
Schilder3 also found that Procosol
had a prolonged setting time.
Curson and Kirk 6 determined the
setting time of several root canal cements. Converting their figures to the
nearest half hour, they are as follows: AH26, 43 hours; Diaket, 2~/~
hours; Kerr sealer, 1 hour; Procosol,
1 hour; Tubliseal, one half hour; and
zinc oxide-eugenol, 5 hours. The setting time of Procosol given by these
investigators differs from most others.
The setting time of a mixture of
root canal cement on a slab bears no
relationship to the setting time in the
root canal. N o t only does the temperature and humidity of the mouth

accelerate the rate of setting of the

cement in the root canal, but also
the thinness of the film of cement
plays an important role. One has only
to test a thin film of cement on the
slab compared to the bulk of a two-orthree-drop mixture to find that the
film sets in a comparatively short
time. The setting time is probably
controlled by oxidation, as well as
chelation, in forming a zinc eugenate.
It is well known that moisture hastens
the setting of zinc oxide-eugenol-type
cements. F r o m a clinical standpoint,
the root canal should therefore be
carefully dried so that it will not
interfere with the flow as well as the
natural setting of the cement.
Unlike other cements that are used
in operative dentistry and set within
a very narrow range of time, the
setting time of the root canal ce-

ments investigated in this study varied

in a rather broad range, namely from
1 hour (Kerr sealer and Tubliseal)
to 40 hours (Procosol). A cement
that hardens in the root canal within
a few minutes may handicap the operator who has taken a radiograph
and finds that the gutta-percha or
silver cone may need adjustment. On
the other hand, a very slow-setting cement may irritate the periapical tissue
because of an excess of eugenol that
results in incomplete chelation or may
be instrumental in causing shrinkage
of the cement. The ideal setting time,
if there is an ideal, has not been
determined. Perhaps it is one that
begins to set in the root canal in 15
minutes to give an operator who
works slowly time to check the obturation of a molar by taking a radiograph and to make the necessary ad-

c~

6C

~il/84184
~

::ii:!~i:Chart3--Average

172

:tnh

*t-

JOURNAL OF ENDODONTICS I VOL 2, NO 6, JUNE 1976

Table 4 9 Adhesion of cements.

Average number
of grams

Cement
A H 26
Diaket
Kerr sealer
Mynol
N2
N2 no-lead
Procosol
Roth 801
Roth 811
RC2B
Tubliseal
Zinc oxide-eugenol

Range

1,000
1,000
500
600
200
200
500
600
600
200
400
0

1,000 +
1,000 +
200-800
500-800
100-300
100-300
200-700
300-800
400-800
100-400
300-500
0-0

1,000

800

600

400

200

6
-r"

t~

>,

<

i5

,-

:~

o~

.c

~-

,,"

,,-

oo

.~

,,"

~-

Chart 4--Average displacement weight o/ cements in grams illustrates adhesion

properties.
justment, but doesn't hard-set in the
root canal until an hour or two.
Adhesion is the physical attachment of the cement to the canal
wall. A moderate degree of flow in a
root canal cement is a desirable property because it facilitates good con-

tact with the canal wall. Regardless of

the type of root canal cement, whether
it be a zinc oxide type or a plastic,
bonding with dentin will not take
place. The plastic cements, A H 2 6 and
Diaket, did adhere better in the tests
than the zinc-oxide-type cements. It

should be borne in mind, however,

that the attachment was to a dry,
irregularly surfaced glass slide and
not to dentin, which contains about
5% moisture. The presence of moisture in the root canal or on the canal
wall interferes with the normal setting
of the plastic so that its adhesion is
mechanical rather than chemical. The
adhesion test is useful only for comparing the various zinc-oxide-type cements. These varied from 200 to 600
gm in the tests, with the exception of
zinc oxide-eugenol, which showed, no
adhesion. This suggests thnt adhesive
properties, within limitations, are im,
parted to a root canal cement by the
resin or the rosin component. The
claim by Sargenti (in a written communication on Aug 13, 1975) that
the lead in N2 imparts adhesive properties to the cement is not borne out
by these tests because there was no
difference between N2 and N2 nolead.
The cements can be placed arbitrarily into four categories: strongly
adhesive: A H 2 6 and Diaket; moderately adhesive: Mynol, Roth 801,
Roth 811, K e r r sealer, Procosol, and
Tubliseal; weakly adhesive: N2, N 2
no-lead, and RC2B; and no adhesion:
zinc oxide-eugenol cement.
The degree of contraction of the
cements, or leakage, was difficult to
measure. Wiener and Schilder 3 also
found quantitation of dimensional
change difficult. Examination under
the microscope was attempted but was
unsatisfactory. A x 8 magnifying
lens with a built-in millimeter r u l e # #
in 0.2-mm divisions was helpful in
measuring the degree of dimensional
change. Methylene blue was used at
first as an indicator of contraction
of the cement along the microliter
tube wall, but it was replaced by
safranin, which produced a more distinct color. While there were some
slight discrepancies in the degree of
leakage from one mix of cement to

173

JOURNAL OF ENDODONTICS I VOL 2, NO $, JUNE 1976

another, on the whole, the cement

being tested came within certain narrow limits except for an occasional
"sport." As an example, even though
the range for Mynol cement was from
0.2 to 4.0 mml the degree of leakage
was mostly near the average of
1.8 mm.
AI! cements showed evidence of
contraction when exposed to room
temperature for five to seven days.
Whether less contraction would have
occurred if the microtubes had been
kept at 37 C and 100% humidity
rather than at room temperature is
speculative. N2, N2 no-lead, and
RC2B showed less contraction than
the other cements because they were
mixed, not as a cementing medium,
but to a thicker consistency as specified by the Sargenti r technique.
Curson and Kirk, 6 Grieve, s and
Kapsimalis and Evans 9 used various
methods for testing leakage of root
canal cements. Because of different
methods of testing, different results
were obtained that may be due to
differences in the consistency of the
mixed cement and differences in ambience, as well as the physical characteristics of the cement.
While the physical properties of a
root canal cement are important from
a standpoint of clinical usage, the
biologic properties are equally, if not
even more, important. No matter how
well a cement mixes, flows, sets, or
adheres, it must also pass a rigorous
test in contact with living tissue. This
is the ultimate test, but an examination of the biologic properties of root
canal cements is not within the purview of this paper.
SUMMARY

Twelve commercial root canal cements were tested for particle size,
flow; setting time, adhesion, and peripheral leakage. The results varied
in a rather wide range. A n examination of the data should help the gen174

Table 5 9 Dimensional change of cements (peripheral leakage of

dye in millimeters).

Freshly mixed cement

Set cement
Cement
AH26
Diaket
Kerr sealer
Mynol
N2
N2 no-lead
Procosol
Roth 801
Roth 811
RC2B
Tubliseal
Zinc oxide-eugenol

Average

Range

Average

Range

1.5
0.2
0.2
1.8
1.I
1.1
0.2
0.6
0.6
0.6
0.5
1.9

0.9-3.2
0.1-0.2
0.1-0.5
0.2-4.0
1.0-2.1
1.0-1.8
0.1-0.2
0.2-0.9
0.1-0.8
0.1-0.8
0.1-3.0
0.6-4.0

2.1
0.3
1.4
2.9"$
1.5
1.5
1.8t
2.0t
1.5t
1.0
1.8t
2.1t

1.0-3.0
0.1-0.8
0.1-4.2
2.0-4.6"$
1.2-1.8
1.2-1.8
0.8-3.9t
0.1-0.4t
0.5-3.6t
0.8-1.4
0.1-4.0t
1.9-3.6r

*Floated by dye up into tube in some tests.

tlrregularly along wall of tube.

2.0

1.5

1.0

0.5

~:

oO
=

.~
_

o4
Z

Chart 5--Dimensional change o/ /reshly mixed cements; average leakage o/ dye

in millimeters.

JOURNAl. OF ENDODONTICS I VOI. 2, NO 6, JUNE 1976

eral dentist or the endodontist toward

a better understanding of the material
he is using, and should suggest to
manufacturers opportunities for improving their products.
*Claudius Ash, Inc., Niagara Falls,
NY'.
tPremier Dental Products Co., Philadelphia,
*Kerr Mfg. Co., Emeryville, Calif.
w
Co., Broomall, Pa.
[ISupplied through courtesy of Dr.
Angelo Sargenti, Locarno, Switzerland.
1lStar Dental Mfg. Co., Conshohocken,
Pa.
#Supplied through courtesy of Dr.
Ramon Werts, Fullerton, Calif.
**Roth Drug Co., Chicago.
ttAmend Drug and Chemical Co., Irvington, NJ.
**Arthur H. Thomas Co., Philadelphia.
w167
Supply Co., Philadelphia.
I[ I[Supplied through courtesy of S. S.
White Dental Products International,

King of Prussia, Pa.

1182
Scientific Co., Broomall,
Pa.
##Simmons Omega Co., Woodside,
NY.
Dr. Grossman is emeritus professor
of oral medicine (endodontics) in the
School of Den,tal Medicine, University of
Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. Requests for
reprints should be directed to: Dr. Louis
I. Grossman, School of Dental Medicine,
University of Pennsylvania, 4001 Spruce
St, Philadelphia, 19104.
References

1. Norman, R.D.; Swartz, M.L.;

Frankiewicz, T.; and Phillips, R.W. Effect of particle size on the physical properties of zinc-oxide-eugenol mixtures. J
Dent Res 43:252 March-April 1964.
2. Weisman, M.I. A study of the flow
rate of ten root canal sealers. Oral Surg
29:255 Feb 1970.
3, Wiener, B.H. and Schilder, H. A
comparative study of important physical

properties of various root canal sealers.

Evaluation of setting ,times. Oral Surg
32:768 Nov 1971.
4. Smith, D.C. Setting of zinc oxide/
eugenol mixtures. Br Dent J 105-313
Nov 4, 1958.
5. Higginbotham, T.L. A comparative
study of the physical properties of five
commonly used root canal sealers. Oral
Surg 24:89 July 1967.
6. Curson, I., and Kirk, E.E. An assessment of root canal-sealing cements. Oral
Surg 26:229 Aug 1968.
7. Sargenti, A. Endodontics. Locarno,
Switzerland, The Author, distributed by
Endodontic Educational Service, 1973,
p 69.
8. Grieve, A.R. Sealing properties of
cements used in root filling. Br Dent J
132:19 Jan 4, 1972.
9. Kapsimalis, P., and Evans, R. Sealing properties of endodontic filling materials using radioactive polar and nonpolar isotopes. Oral Surg 22:386 Sept
1966.

175