Filling of Root Canals After Minimally Invasive Preparation

Abstract

Instrumentation creates space for root canal irrigation, disinfection and root filling. All of these phases have an impact on the method and size of instrumentation, depending on the philosophy of the dentist and the limitations and requirements set by the equipment used in each phase, especially in root filling phase. The shrinkage of root canal sealers and instability in tissue fluids has necessitated a thin layer of the sealer and has resulted in instrumentation techniques with large tapers primarily directed to thermoplastic obturation methods and warm vertical condensation techniques. In many cases these access cavity and endodontic preparation techniques have led to excessive removal of dentin on the coronal and middle third of the root canals, making the coronal part and root more susceptible to fracture. New technologies on root canal preparation using low taper NiTi conforming files to conservatively prepare the root canals maintaining as much sound peri-cervical dentin as possible have gained a large attention on the last years. These instrumentation methods combined to new calcium-silicate-based hydraulic endodontic cements that can predictably fill the root canal space on a more biological and conservative setting fit on the minimally invasive root canal filling phase. This chapter presents a panorama of presently available material and methods suggested for root canal filling to adapt to the minimally invasive preparation concept.