Quality of obturation achieved by an endodontic core-carrier system with crosslinked gutta-percha carrier in single-rooted canals.
OBJECTIVE
The present study examined the quality of obturation in root canals obturated by GuttaCore, a gutta-percha-based core-carrier system with a cross-linked thermoset gutta-percha carrier, by comparing the incidence of gaps and voids identified from similar canals obturated by cold lateral compaction or warm vertical compaction.


METHODS
Thirty single-rooted premolars with oval-shaped canals were shaped and cleaned, and obturated with one of the three obturation techniques (N=10): GuttaCore, warm vertical compaction or cold lateral compaction. Filled canals were scanned with micro-computed tomography (micro-CT); reconstructed images were analysed for the volumetric percentage of gaps and voids at three canal levels (0-4mm, 4-8mm and 8-12mm from working length). The roots were subsequently sectioned at the 4-mm, 8-mm and 12-mm levels for analyses of the percentage of interfacial gaps, and area percentage of interfacial and intracanal voids, using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to examine negative replicas of root sections. Data were analysed with parametric or non-parametric statistical methods at α=0.05.


RESULTS
Both micro-CT and SEM data indicated that canals obturated with GuttaCore core-carriers had the lowest incidence of interfacial gaps and voids, although the results were not significantly different from canals obturated by warm vertical compaction. Both the GuttaCore and the warm vertical compaction groups, in turn, had significantly lower incidences of gaps and voids than the cold lateral compaction group.


CONCLUSIONS
Because of the similarity in obturation quality between GuttaCore and warm vertical compaction, practitioners may find the GuttaCore core-carrier technique a valuable alternative for obturation of oval-shaped canals.


CONCLUSIONS
The quality of obturation achieved by GuttaCore in single-rooted canals is not significantly different from that achieved by warm vertical compaction.
Department of Stomatology, Fuzhou Dongfang Hospital, Fuzhou, China.
Guo-Hua
GH
Li
State Key Laboratory of Military Stomatology, Department of Prosthodontics, School of Stomatology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China.
Li-Na
LN
Niu
Department of Endodontics, Georgia Regents University, Augusta, GA, USA.
Lisa C
LC
Selem
Department of Dental and Biomedical Material Sciences, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan.
Ashraf A
AA
Eid
Department of Endodontics, Georgia Regents University, Augusta, GA, USA.
Brian E
BE
Bergeron
State Key Laboratory of Military Stomatology, Department of Prosthodontics, School of Stomatology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China. Electronic address: jhchen@fmmu.edu.cn.
Ji-Hua
JH
Chen
Department of Oral Biology, Georgia Regents University, Augusta, GA, USA.
David H
DH
Pashley
Department of Endodontics, Georgia Regents University, Augusta, GA, USA. Electronic address: ftay@gru.edu.
Franklin R
FR
Tay
D001641:Bicuspid / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D003786:Dental Pulp Cavity / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D004867:Equipment Design; D006171:Gutta-Percha / Q000737:chemistry / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D006813:Humidity; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods; D008422:Materials Testing; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D012387:Root Canal Filling Materials / Q000737:chemistry / Q000592:standards*; D012389:Root Canal Obturation / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D018915:Root Canal Preparation / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D013499:Surface Properties; D013696:Temperature; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry; D055114:X-Ray Microtomography / Q000379:methods
D012387:Root Canal Filling Materials; D014867:Water; D006171:Gutta-Percha
Cold lateral compaction; Core-carrier; Cross-linked thermoset gutta-percha carrier; Micro-computed tomography; Negative replica; Scanning electron microscopy; Warm vertical compaction