IN VITRO VOLUMETRIC EVALUATION OF OVAL SHAPED ROOT CANALS FILLED WITH FIVE DIFFERENT OBTURATION TECHNIQUES

Abstract

Objectives: This in vitro study aimed to compare the volumes of unfilled areas in oval-shaped root canals filled with five different obturation techniques after minimally invasive root canal shaping using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT). Materials and Methods: 50 extracted mandibular premolars with oval-shaped root canals were used. Root canals were instrumented with K3 files (Kerr, USA) to size #30.04. Then, the samples were randomly distributed into five groups and obturated with different techniques; single cone technique with AH plus (Group A), single cone technique with BIO-C® SEALER (Group B), modified lateral condensation technique with AH Plus using 0.04 GP (Group C), conventional lateral condensation technique with AH Plus (Group D) and continuous warm compaction with AH plus (Group E). All teeth were scanned using CBCT before and after obturation. Volume of voids was calculated in each third of the root canal using 3D Doctors software. Kruskal-Wallis and post hoc Dunn tests were used for statistics (p<0.05). Results: Group E showed the least mean volume percentage of voids, whereas Group A showed the highest mean volume percentage of voids in the coronal third, the middle third and overall. However, in the middle and apical thirds, there was no statistically significant difference between the groups regarding the mean volume percentage of voids (p>0.05). Conclusion: The obturation technique effected the quality of obturation minimally in the middle and apical thirds of oval-shaped root canals. The single cone techniques had a higher percentage volume of voids than the continuous wave compaction technique.