Effect of different temperatures and penetration depths of a System B plugger in the filling of artificially created oval canals.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to compare the gutta-percha-filled area in oval canals while varying the temperature and penetration depth of the System B plugger.


METHODS
Seventy-five resin blocks, with artificially created oval canals, were obturated by using a continuous wave technique. In groups 1, 2, and 3, the plugger was introduced to a depth of 4 mm from the apex at set temperatures of 100, 200, and 350 degrees C, respectively. In group 4, the plugger was inserted to a depth of 2 mm from the apex at a set temperature of 200 degrees C. Group 5 was obturated in the same way as group 2, and then an additional cold plugging was performed to a depth of 3 mm from the apex. The cross sections of the obturated canals were photographed, and the percentage of the gutta-percha-filled area (PGP) was measured.


RESULTS
No significant differences were found between the 3 different temperature settings (P >.05). At 1 mm from the apex, group 4 showed the highest PGP (95.57% +/- 6.86), followed by group 5 (84.72% +/- 12.19), and group 2 (67.33 +/- 13.03) (P <.05).


CONCLUSIONS
In artificially created oval canals, plugger temperature within the range used in this study did not affect the PGP. However, the penetration depth of the plugger was significantly related to PGP.
Jung
Il-Young
IY
Department of Conservative Dentistry and Oral Science Research Center, Yonsei University College of Dentistry, Seoul, Korea.
Lee
Sun-Bok
SB
Kim
Eui-Seong
ES
Lee
Chan-Young
CY
Lee
Seung-Jong
SJ
D000180:Acrylic Resins; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003786:Dental Pulp Cavity / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D006171:Gutta-Percha; D006801:Humans; D003765:Models, Dental; D012389:Root Canal Obturation / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D013696:Temperature; D019227:Tooth Apex / Q000033:anatomy & histology
D000180:Acrylic Resins; D006171:Gutta-Percha