Evaluation in SEM and EDS
TM3030
SEM and EDS evaluations were performed at the Center for Research in Ceramic and
Composite Materials (CERMAT, UFSC, Santa Catarina, Brazil). Samples were
identified and manually marked on the dentin, in the cervical third of the
interior of the root canal, with a device with a 1 mm diameter circular cutting
tip (Disposable Dermatological Punch, Miltex, Japan) to evaluate the same area
before and after RDT. To remove all moisture, the samples were dehydrated in a
container containing silica and kept in an oven at 37°C for 72 hours.The samples did not undergo any coating or additional preparation. With the aid
of double-sided tape, the samples were fixed and positioned in a standardized
way on stubs and taken for SEM evaluation, with the option of low-vacuum
operation at 2000x magnification (TM3030, Tabletop Microscope, Tokyo, Japan) to
examine the dentin structure inside the root canal.Dental images were digitally captured, and root dentin was evaluated using
descriptive analysis by observing the obliteration of the dentinal tubules. The
same orientation of the dentinal tubules was confirmed before the evaluation in
all samples. Scores were attributed to the structure of the dentinal tubules:
(0) regular, (1) partially obliterated, and (2) totally obliterated, as
described by Gonçalves et al. (6) (
