Does the Mixing Method of AH Plus Jet Affect its Physicochemical and Mechanical Properties?

Abstract

IntroductionThe purpose of this study was to evaluate whether the mixing method of AH Plus Jet sealer affects its physicochemical and mechanical properties. MethodsThe properties of AH Plus Jet sealer were analyzed when mixed using either the Auto Mix Tip or manual mixing. The evaluated properties included radiopacity (n = 5), initial and final setting times (n = 5), flow (n = 5), and solubility (n = 3), following specifications outlined in ISO 6876/2012 and ADA Nº 57/2000. pH levels were measured at intervals of 3, 24, 72, and 168 hours (n = 10). The push-out bond strength test was conducted using a universal testing machine and using bovine teeth (n = 30). Failure modes were analyzed with stereomicroscopy. Porosity was evaluated under micro-CT (n = 5), and scanning electron microscopy was also performed (n = 5). One-way analysis of variance and Tukey, unpaired t-tests, or Mann–Whitney tests were used with a significance level of 5%. ResultsThe Auto Mix exhibited a radiopacity value of 12.11 mmAl, whereas manual mixing resulted in 12.55 mmAl (P > .05). For initial and final setting times, Auto Mix showed 901 minutes and 1779 minutes, respectively, while manual mixing recorded values of 631 minutes and 1504 minutes (P < .05). In terms of flow, Auto Mix demonstrated higher values (25.26 mm) than manual mixing (21.71 mm) (P < .05). No statistical differences were observed between the two methods for solubility and pH (P > .05). Manual mixing presented a higher bond strength value (14.52 MPa) than Auto Mix (9.81 MPa) (P < .05). The mixed failure mode was the most frequent outcome for both methods. The highest porosity was observed for Auto Mix (P < .05). Scanning electron microscopy analysis revealed that manual mixing resulted in a smoother surface with fewer pores and smaller, more evenly distributed agglomerates compared to automatic mixing. ConclusionThe mixing method employed for AH Plus Jet sealer influences some physicochemical and mechanical properties of the material.