Micro-CT Evaluation of Four Root Canal Obturation Techniques

Purpose. The aim of this in vitro study was to evaluate the quality of four root canal obturation techniques using microcomputed tomography (micro-CT). Materials and Methods. A total of 36 mandibular first premolars with mostly round canals were decoronated, then instrumented up to a size F3 rotary file, and dressed with an epoxy resin-based sealer. Subsequently, they were divided into 4 different groups (n=9) based on the method of obturation: lateral condensation using 0.02 tapered master cone (LC2), lateral condensation using 0.04 tapered master cone (LC4), matched single-cone technique (MS), and matched single cone-mediated ultrasonic activation (MSUA). All the teeth were scanned using micro-CT (resolution of 19 μm), and the percentage volume of voids was calculated. One-way analysis of variance and Tukey test were used to analyze the data (α=0.05). Results. The total percentage volume of voids was significantly lower in the MSUA group compared to all other groups (P<0.05). The total percentage volume of voids was significantly lower in the MS group compared to the LC4 (P<0.001) and LC2 (P<0.001) groups. However, there was no significant difference between the LC2 and LC4 groups (P