Ethical approval:
The protocol used in this present study was approved by the Scientific Research Ethics Committee of National Institute of Laser Enhanced Sciences (NILES) Cairo University, Egypt (reference no.: NILES-EC-CU 23/9/21 [in]).
Sample size calculation:
Sample size calculation was accomplished by R statistical package, version 3.3.1 (21-0-2016) copyright (C) 2016, in accordance to (Bolhari B. et al., 2014). (16) Six samples for each group was an adequate size, with an 80% power and a significance level of 0.05.
Samples’ selection, grouping and preparation:
A total eighteen freshly extracted human single-rooted teeth were randomly nominated for this study. All teeth were coronally free from any defect or restoration. In addition, each tooth root had closed apex and single canal with no radicular resorption or calcification. The apical curvature of roots of the selected teeth was less than twenty degrees.
Teeth surface debris was first removed with ultrasonic scaler and cleaned with tap water. Then the teeth were kept in a sealed container filled with sodium chloride 0.9 W/V (normal saline).
Root canal therapy of all teeth was stared with standard access cavity preparation of each tooth. These prepared cavities were performed by using a high-speed contra-angle handpiece connected to a tapered diamond bur. Next a size#10, sterile, stainless-steel, hand K-file was inserted inside root canal space for measuring the apical potency. When the k-file tip searched to the same level of apical foramen, the apical potency was determined.
Access cavities to root canal were created using tapered diamond bar under copious water spray. (22) The apical patency of each was checked by sterile, stainless-steel hand K-file (size#10). ProTaper Next® files (Dentsply Maillefer, New York, USA) were used to mechanically prepared the root canals at torque of 2N/m and rotational speed of 300 rpm. (17) All canals were enlarged to size# x4 ProTaper Next® files, (17) and all were instrumented 0.5 mm shorter than the length of file used for checking the root canal apical potency. A NiTi rotary file was avoided after preparing three root canal. (18)
Subsequently, teeth were randomly categorized into two groups (6 teeth in each) in accordance to the method of intacanal activation technique; conventional syringe/needle irrigation technique (group I) using side-vented needle (Monoject, Sherwood Medical, Switzerland), Er,YAG laser (2940 nm) (LightWalker, Fotona, Ljubljana, Sloveni) (group II) using PIPS tip and, Er,Cr:YSGG laser (2780 nm) (Waterlase iPlus, Biolase Technology, Irvine, CA, USA) (group III) using RFT.
Each root canal was irrigated with 5 ml of 5% NaOCl solution. The volume of root canal irrigant was gradually applied for one minute.
For proper conventional syringe/needle irrigation technique, the side-vented needle was inserted into the root canal up to 1 mm short of its working length.
Er,Cr:YSGG (2780 nm) laser beam settings was set at energy of 25 mJ, pulse width of 60 μs, and pulse frequency of 50 Hz, for total activation time of 60 sec. (three cycles, each for 20 sec.) with no water and air sprays. Irradiation of Er,Cr:YSGG (2780 nm) laser was delivered through radial firing tip (RFT) (Waterlase laser tip RF3-21, Biolase, Technology, Irvine, CA, USA) with a diameter of 415 μm, a length of 21 mm and calibration factor of 0.85. The radial firing tip (RFT) was introduced into NaOCl-filled root canal 2 mm short of working length before laser beam was irradiated. During laser activation the radial firing tip (RFT) was spirally moved in a speed of 1 mm/s towards the tooth crown.
Er:YAG laser device was employed. The laser operated at pulse energy of 20 mJ, pulse width of 50 μs, pulse frequency of 15 Hz, for total activation time of 60 sec. (three cycles, each for 20 sec.), (30) with no water and air sprays. Irradiation of Er,Cr:YSGG (2780 nm) laser was delivered through radial stripped PIPS tip with a diameter of 400 μm and a length of 11 mm (PIPS 400/11, Fotona, Ljubljana, Sloveni). PIPS tip was connected with a 90 handpiece before its placement inside the coronal pulp chamber at the entrance of the canal orifice.
At the end, the root canals were dried with absorbent paper point ProTaper Next® size#x4 (Dentsply Maillefer, New York, USA).
SEM evaluation:
A single absorbent paper point size# X4 was accurately filled the root canal during samples’ sectioning procedure.
The longitudinal hemi-sectioning of samples was started on the proximal aspects of the coronal portion parallel to long axis of tooth root.
A low-speed diamond water-cooled diamond saw (Isomet 4000, Buehler Ltd, Lake Bluff, IL, USA) was utilized to implement the precise samples’ sectioning. (13, 14)
The microscopic analysis was conducted with environmental scanning electron microscope ESEM (FEI Quanta 250 FEG, Berlin, Germany) with an electron accelerating voltage of 20 KV at a standard magnification of ×2000. (19)
The coronal, middle and apical thirds of dentinal wall of the sections were microscopically captured, then studied for assessing the smear layer eradicating capability and the presence of dentinal tubules’ opening by two expertise qualified inspectors, individually. (20)
Evaluation of ESEM images was followed the 5- point scoring method of (Hülsmann M. et al., 1997).(21) The scores were as follows- Score 1: no smear layer was noticed on the dentin wall and all dentinal tubules orifices were evidently opened; Score 2: miniscule aggregate of smear layer was noticed on the dentin wall, besides many dentinal tubule were unlocked; Score 3: homogenous smear layer was visibly covered the dentin wall with few open dentinal tubules were seen; Score 4: homogenous smear layer was the completely shielded nearly the entire dentinal wall, and all dentinal tubules were blocked; Score 5: a heavy, heterogonous smear layer covering the entire dentinal wall of root canal, and all dentinal tubules were blocked. (21)
Statistical analysis
The samples’ recorded scores were analyzed using SPSS (Statistical Packages for the Social Sciences 26.0, IBM, Armonk, NY, USA). Cohen’s kappa coefficient test was used to check inter- & intra-inspectors’ reliability. Moreover, Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Shapiro-Wilk tests recruited to determine the study data normality. Furthermore, Kruskal-Wallis nonparametric analysis of variance, followed by Mann-Whitney test were executed to statistically evaluate the numeric data of the tested groups (different activating methods) based on the studied root segment, regarding the level of statistical significance was set at 0.05.