title: Does cold burnishing gutta-percha create a better apical seal?
abstract: This study investigated the seal created by cold burnishing the gutta-percha exposed after apical root resection of endodontically treated teeth. Sixty single-rooted extracted human teeth with a single straight canal were divided into four experimental groups of 15 teeth each. In two of the experimental groups the canals were instrumented and obturated well with laterally condensed gutta-percha and sealer. The remaining two groups were instrumented and poorly obturated with laterally condensed gutta-percha and sealer. The apical 2 mm of all the teeth were then resected and the effect of cold burnishing the exposed gutta-percha was investigated using a linear dye penetration technique. Under the condition of this study, cold burnishing gutta-percha after apical root resection of a well-obturated root canal resulted in a poorer apical seal than if no burnishing were performed. Cold burnishing the exposed gutta-percha after apical root resection of poorly obturated root canals improved the apical seal as compared with nonburnished poorly obturated canals.
authors.forename: S G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Minnich
authors.forename: G R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Hartwell
authors.forename: F R
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Portell
mesh_terms: D003763:Dental Leakage; D006171:Gutta-Percha; D006801:Humans; D012389:Root Canal Obturation / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D006171:Gutta-Percha