A critical analysis of research methods and experimental models to study root canal fillings

Canal filling materials and techniques have been one of the most studied topics in Endodontics. A simple search using the mesh term “root canal filling” in PubMed revealed more than 11 000 articles, an impressive number that is much higher than “root canal disinfection” (5544 pieces) or even the famous “root canal preparation” (8527 articles). In this context, laboratory methods should be developed focusing on predicting, at least to some degree, the long‐term clinical behaviour of root canal fillings, rather than simply ranking different materials or techniques.