Does Smear Layer Removal Influence Root Canal Therapy Outcome? A Systematic Review.

Objective: The aim of this systematic review was to determine whether the smear layer (SL) removal procedure influences the outcome of root canal treatment.

Study Design: We performed a search on Pubmed, Scopus, ISI Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Lilacs and SIGLE. We included randomized controlled clinical trials (RCT), with clinical and radiographic outcomes, conducted on subjects who had undergone root canal therapy.