Comparative Evaluation of the Solubility of Three Commonly Used Root Canal Sealers When Exposed to Xylene and Endosolv: An in vitro study

Objective: This in vitro study compared the solubility of three root canal sealers, AH Plus (epoxy resin-based), MTA Fillapex (MTA-based), and Cerafill RCS (bioceramic), in two solvents: Xylene and Endosolv. Materials and Methods: Sixty standardized cylindrical specimens were prepared using the three sealers of interest. The specimens were divided into six groups (n = 10) and immersed in either Xylene or Endosolv for 10 minutes. Solubility was assessed by calculating the percentage weight loss before and after immersion. Data were analysed using one-way ANOVA and Tukey’s post hoc test (α = 0.05). Results: All sealers exhibited statistically significant solubility in both solvents (p < 0.001). AH Plus showed the highest solubility in Endosolv (72.63 ± 7.96%), while Cerafill RCS exhibited the lowest solubility in Xylene (6.99 ± 0.95%). Endosolv was significantly more effective than Xylene in dissolving all three sealers. Conclusion: The chemical composition of the sealer and the type of solvent have a significant impact on solubility. Endosolv demonstrated superior dissolving ability compared to Xylene, especially for resin-based sealers like AH Plus. Cerafill RCS exhibited the highest resistance to both solvents, underscoring the challenge of retreatment involving bioceramic sealers.