Evaluation of the effect of calcium hydroxide paste on sealer penetration into dentinal tubules by confocal laser scanning microscopy.

The study evaluated sealer penetration after calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH) ) removal from the root canals. Sixty single-rooted mandibular premolars were divided into six groups. Ca(OH) paste placed into the root canals except for the control group (CG) was removed using the following irrigation techniques: conventional needle irrigation (CNI), EndoActivator (EA), EndoVac (EV), passive ultrasonic irrigation (PUI) and photon-induced photoacoustic streaming (PIPS) technique.