title: A microcomputed tomography-based comparison of root canal filling quality following different instrumentation and obturation techniques.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  With a microcomputed tomography (microCT) imaging device, we aimed to quantitatively evaluate root canal fillings after commonly used endodontic procedures and also tested the suitability of microCT for this purpose.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty single roots were instrumented and obturated with gutta-percha and Tubli-Seal. They were divided into 4 groups of 20. The Hand groups were instrumented with hand files and filled with thermoplastic (Th) compaction and cold lateral (CL) condensation, i.e. Hand-Th and Hand-CL, respectively. The Rot groups, i.e. Rot-Th and Rot-CL, were instrumented with a rotary ProFile system and filled as above. The roots were scanned and 3-dimensional (3D) visualization was obtained. The number, size, percentage of volume and distribution of voids at the filling/dentine interface (i-voids) and voids surrounded by filling material (s-voids) were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Canal fillings differed significantly with regard to the size of both types of voids and the average number of i-voids. All canals presented a low volume of voids. The highest percentage (0.69%) was found for i-voids in the Hand-CL group, while the lowest volume (0.11% for s-voids and 0.14% for i-voids) was in the Hand-Th canals. Apically, in the last 3 mm, i-voids were observed mainly in the Th groups, and s-voids occurred mostly in the coronal part of the canal filling in all cases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MicroCT was a useful tool for 3D quantitative evaluations of these root canal fillings. None of the root canal instrumentation and filling methods ensured void-free obturation. CL condensation produced mainly i-voids. With Th compaction, internal s-voids were particularly common, but there were mainly i-voids in the apical part.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dentistry Propaedeutics, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kierklo
authors.forename: Zbisław
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Tabor
authors.forename: Małgorzata
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pawińska
authors.forename: Małgorzata
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jaworska
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D006171:Gutta-Percha; D006801:Humans; D012387:Root Canal Filling Materials / Q000592:standards*; D012389:Root Canal Obturation / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D055114:X-Ray Microtomography / Q000379:methods; D015035:Zinc Oxide-Eugenol Cement
chemical_list: D012387:Root Canal Filling Materials; D015035:Zinc Oxide-Eugenol Cement; C048769:tubliseal; D006171:Gutta-Percha