Comparison of the Efficiency of ProTaper Ultimate and ProTaper Gold Files in the Retreatability of Bioceramic and Epoxy Resin Sealers - An ex vivo study.

Authors

Mohammed Rashid, Bassem Eid, Ranya Elemam, Tarek Elsewify

Published in

European endodontic journal. Volume 11. Issue 5. Pages 222-227. May 30, 2026. Epub May 30, 2026.

Abstract

In cases of failed root canal treatment, rotary NiTi files enhance retreatment efficiency by facilitating effective removal of root canal filling materials while minimising procedural errors and preserving canal anatomy. To compare the efficiency of ProTaper Ultimate (PTUL) and ProTaper Gold (PTG) in the retreatment of root canals previously obturated with AH Plus or TotalFill Bioceramic sealer.
Sixty extracted single-rooted teeth were prepared using the Reciproc R40 and then divided into 4 groups (n = 15) according to the sealer used; AH Plus or TotalFill Bioceramic, and the retreatment file system, PTUL or PTG. The retreatment time was recorded, and the percentage of the residual filling material was assessed using a stereomicroscope. Statistical analysis was performed at a significance level of P < .05.
A significant interaction was observed between sealer type and retreatment file system for both retreatment time and the percentage of remaining filling material (P < .05). Overall, retreatment of TotalFill Bioceramic was significantly faster than AH Plus. Within the AH Plus groups, the PTG system was significantly faster than PTUL, whereas no time difference was noted between files for the TotalFill groups. Regarding filling material removal, the PTUL was significantly more effective at removing TotalFill Bioceramic compared to PTG, which left the highest amount of residual filling material. Conversely, both file systems demonstrated statistically similar efficacy in removing the AH Plus sealer.
The optimal retreatment file system is heavily sealer-dependent; PTUL maximises the removal of TotalFill Bioceramic, whereas PTG expedites the removal of AH Plus without compromising cleanliness.

PMID:
42296409
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 16 Jun 2026.

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