TL;DR: Root canal sealers fall into chemistry families (zinc oxide eugenol, calcium hydroxide, resin, and calcium silicate or "bioceramic"), and the family you choose affects handling, setting, and what you can bond to afterward. This guide explains each family using what the manufacturers and the research literature actually state, then maps them to the sealers EBIKO Dental stocks for Canadian practices.
Obturation gets less attention than shaping and irrigation, yet the sealer is what fills the gaps gutta-percha cannot. As of October 2026, practices in Toronto and across the GTA can choose from several sealer chemistries, including premixed bioceramics. If your practice is weighing a switch, or simply has not revisited its sealer in years, start with the chemistry.
How Are Root Canal Sealers Classified?
A 2020 review in the Dental Materials Journal (Komabayashi and colleagues) classifies current endodontic sealers by setting reaction and composition into zinc oxide-eugenol, salicylate, fatty acid, glass ionomer, silicone, epoxy resin, tricalcium silicate, and methacrylate resin types. A 2025 review in Materials groups them similarly and lists calcium hydroxide sealers as their own category alongside the newer bioceramic formulations.
For day-to-day ordering, the sealers EBIKO Dental stocks fall into four families: zinc oxide eugenol (ZOE), calcium hydroxide, resin-based, and calcium silicate (bioceramic).
Zinc Oxide Eugenol Sealers: The Long-Standing Default
EBIKO Dental stocks two Kerr zinc oxide eugenol lines:
- Kerr Pulp Canal Sealer. Kerr describes it as "a zinc oxide eugenol sealer that has a powder base and liquid catalyst," radiopaque, with "a long history of clinical success." The EWT (Extended Working Time) version, according to Kerr, has the same physical properties and "a work time of greater than 6 hours on the pad." EBIKO Dental stocks both the Standard and EWT formulations of Kerr Pulp Canal Sealer at $189.99 CAD.
- Kerr Tubli-Seal. Kerr calls Tubli-Seal "a zinc oxide eugenol root canal sealer," and Benco's listing describes it as paste/paste, "light in color, non darkening, and radiopaque." Kerr states that Tubli-Seal EWT adds "a longer working time." Both the Tubli-Seal Standard Package and the Tubli-Seal EWT tubes kit are $89.99 CAD at EBIKO Dental.
The Eugenol Question
If you plan to place a fibre post with resin cement, the sealer matters. A 2015 systematic review and meta-analysis in the Journal of Endodontics (Altmann and colleagues) found that eugenol-based sealer reduced the immediate push-out bond strength of fibre posts luted with resin cement, regardless of the adhesive system or resin cement used. That is a reason to think about the final restoration before you pick up the ZOE.
Pro Tip: If your post-and-core workflow uses resin cement, flag that on the endo chart at access. It takes five seconds and prevents reaching for a eugenol sealer by habit.
Calcium Hydroxide Sealers: Non-Eugenol by Design
Kerr describes Sealapex as "a noneugenol, polymeric calcium hydroxide root canal sealant" and as "the original non-eugenol, calcium hydroxide polymeric root canal sealant." Kerr also states that the formulation "produces rapid healing and hard tissue formation." That is the manufacturer's claim, and your own reading of the evidence should guide how much weight to give it. Its FDA GUDID record describes a two-tube base-and-catalyst format.
EBIKO Dental carries the Kerr Sealapex Standard Pack at $99.99 CAD.
Resin-Based Sealers: Dentsply AH 26
Dentsply Sirona describes AH 26 as a powder and resin "mixed to produce a root canal filling material of excellent sealing capacity," citing "its very small contraction during setting." Distributor listings from Benco and Henry Schein describe it as a "resin-based, nonacrylic, eugenol-free sealer" with a working time of 4–6 hours and a setting time of 9–15 hours, suitable for all obturation techniques.
A long working time can help on multi-canal molars. The long setting time is the trade-off: plan the post space and final restoration with that window in mind. EBIKO Dental stocks the Dentsply AH 26 Complete Kit at $176.99 CAD.
Calcium Silicate (Bioceramic) Sealers: Premixed and Moisture-Setting
Bioceramic sealers set differently from the other three families. A 2019 systematic review in Odontology (Donnermeyer and colleagues) explains that ready-to-use one-component calcium silicate sealers need an external water supply, for example from body fluid, and that a hydration reaction of the calcium silicate is followed by a precipitation reaction of calcium phosphate. The 2020 Dental Materials Journal review notes that tricalcium silicate sealers "exhibit the most favorable antimicrobial effect and excellent biocompatibility" among the types it reviewed.
Technique is part of the appeal. A 2024 Journal of Endodontics review (Sabeti and colleagues) concluded that the single-cone technique with a calcium silicate-based sealer gave similar results to other obturation materials and techniques in the healing of apical periodontitis.
DiaDent describes Dia-Root Bio Sealer as "a pre-mixed bioceramic calcium silicate-based MTA sealer" suitable "for all obturation techniques with gutta percha." Its instructions for use warn that the "material hardens when in contact with water" and that pH rises to 10–12 when it reacts with moisture. DiaDent's brochure lists a setting time of 6 hours (depending on the condition of the root canal) and radiopacity of 8.1 mm Al, with technique guides for single-cone and traditional obturation. The regular kit is a 2 g syringe with 20 tips. EBIKO Dental carries DiaDent Dia-Root Bio Sealer at $89.99 CAD.
Pro Tip: Because Dia-Root Bio Sealer hardens on contact with moisture, follow DiaDent's storage steps in the instructions for use after every case. Keep the syringe sealed and dry between uses.
Which Sealer Should Your Practice Stock?
There is no single right answer, but three questions narrow it quickly:
- What is the final restoration? If resin-cemented fibre posts are routine, a sealer described as eugenol-free, such as Sealapex (per Kerr) or AH 26 (per distributor listings), avoids the bond-strength concern above.
- What obturation technique do you use? If you use single-cone obturation, published evidence supports pairing it with a calcium silicate sealer. For other techniques, check each sealer's stated indications.
- How much working time do you need? Extended-working-time ZOE formulations and slow-setting resin sealers give more room on multi-canal teeth.
Whatever you choose, confirm the product's Health Canada licence in the Medical Devices Active Licence Listing (MDALL) and follow the current instructions for use.
Round Out the Obturation Kit
Sealer is one part of the obturation setup. Two related items from EBIKO Dental:
- The EBIKO Dental Gutta-Percha Point Gauge & Cutter ($26.99–$29.99 CAD), an autoclavable gauge for checking and trimming gutta-percha and paper points to ISO tip sizes.
- The Eighteeth Space Pack & Fill cordless obturation system ($499.99 CAD Pack, $799.99 CAD Fill) for warm vertical down-pack and backfill.
EBIKO Dental ships free across the GTA on orders of $99 CAD or more, across Ontario on orders of $199 CAD or more, and across Canada on orders of $299 CAD or more (before tax). Shop endodontic supplies at EBIKO Dental.
Which sealer is on your endo tray right now, and has your choice changed since bioceramics arrived? We would like to hear how practices across the GTA are deciding.
Sources
- Kerr: Pulp Canal Sealer, Pulp Canal Sealer EWT, Tubli-Seal, Tubli-Seal EWT, Sealapex
- Dentsply Sirona: AH 26; Benco: AH 26 listing, Tubli-Seal listing
- DiaDent: Dia-Root Bio Sealer (product page, IFU and brochure)
- Komabayashi T, et al. Comprehensive review of current endodontic sealers. Dental Materials Journal, 2020. doi:10.4012/dmj.2019-288
- Donnermeyer D, et al. Endodontic sealers based on calcium silicates: a systematic review. Odontology, 2019. doi:10.1007/s10266-018-0400-3
- Sabeti MA, et al. Journal of Endodontics, 2024. doi:10.1016/j.joen.2024.03.007
- Altmann AS, et al. Journal of Endodontics, 2015. doi:10.1016/j.joen.2015.05.014
- Błaszczyk-Pośpiech A, et al. Materials, 2025. doi:10.3390/ma18184259
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What are the main types of root canal sealer?
Reviews classify sealers by composition, including zinc oxide eugenol, calcium hydroxide, glass ionomer, silicone, epoxy and methacrylate resin, and calcium silicate (bioceramic) types. EBIKO Dental stocks zinc oxide eugenol, calcium hydroxide, resin-based, and bioceramic sealers.
Q: Do bioceramic sealers need moisture to set?
Yes, for premixed one-component products. A 2019 systematic review notes that ready-to-use calcium silicate sealers need an external water supply such as body fluid, and DiaDent's instructions state that Dia-Root Bio Sealer hardens on contact with water.
Q: Should I avoid eugenol sealers before a fibre post?
It is worth considering. A 2015 systematic review and meta-analysis in the Journal of Endodontics found that eugenol-based sealer reduced the immediate push-out bond strength of fibre posts luted with resin cement, so a eugenol-free sealer is worth considering when a resin-cemented post is planned.