Efficacy of ultrasonic vibration in warm gutta-percha vertical compaction.

AIM: Vertical compaction of warm gutta-percha is a methodology to seal root canals and it might be associated with ultrasonic vibration. The aim of this paper was to determine whether vertical compaction of warm gutta-percha used with ultrasonic vibrations performs better compared to the traditional one. METHODS: Twenty-four single-rooted teeth were endodontically treated and randomly divided into two groups: in the first group (G1), teeth were filled using vertical compaction, while in the other (G2), vertical compaction was used with ultrasonic vibration. A microleakage test was performed after 24 h and 30 days from root canal sealing. RESULTS: After 24 hours, microleakage was similar in both groups (0.013 µL/min; SD 0.008); after 30 days, it was 0.006 µL/min (SD 0.004) in G1 and 0.004 µL/min (SD 0.003) in G2 (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: Under these experimental conditions, ultrasonic vibration used with vertical compaction produced a similar level of sealing as the traditional method.

Warm gutta-percha obturation technique: a critical review.

Cleaning and shaping the root canals play an important role to remove the organic debris within the endodontic system. The result, however, must be maintained over time through an effective root canal fillings preventing the entry of micro-organisms and tissutal fluid in the root canal system. Recently new materials have been introduced on the market, hence alternatives techniques for the root canals obturation have been developed and proposed. Even if cold lateral condensation is still considered the technique to refer to, there are numerous alternatives that use heat to achieve optimal adaptation of gutta-percha to the root canal space. The purpose of this work is to emphasize the positive aspect and points of weaknesses of different methods used for filling the root canals in order to allow the clinician to carry out choices as possible based on scientific evidence. Although many clinical trials still have not identified the superiority of one obturation technique over the others, the importance of this stage is objectively primary, so much that in the clinical practice we can notice an increasing success of endodontic treatment.

Apical crown technique to model canal roots. A review of the literature.

The goals of endodontic therapy are to shape and clean the root canal system in order to receive a three-dimensional and hermetic filling of the entire endodontic space. The aim of this review is to analyze the development of the different canal shaping techniques from the manual stainless-steel instruments to the recently developed rotary Ni-Ti systems. The need to provide instruments of a suitable size to reach the apex of curved root canals drove the development of preparation techniques with a greater focus on the apical part. The Crown-Down technique involves the widening of the canal orifices with Gates-Glidden drills followed by the incremental removal of organic canal contents proceeding from the canal orifice to the apical portion using manual files. Files are used from larger to smaller with no apical pressure. Nevertheless, the term ''Crown-Down'' does not define the technique in the strictest sense, nor does it provide a specific sequence for the use of instruments, but rather defines a way to use the instruments. The preparation of root canals has been revolutionised by the development of Ni-Ti alloys. The features of this alloy give instruments profound flexibility and allow the manufacture of more tapered instruments compared with traditional stainless-steel instruments. In the second part of this review, numerous examples are provided concerning the comparison between different Ni-Ti systems and their techniques for use. A Crown-Down approach provides certain advantages including early organic debris removal, the creation of a large reservoir for irrigating solutions, a straighter access to the apical region of curved canals, and greater precision with regard to the exact working length and apical size.