Comparative Evaluation of Different Obturation Techniques for Root Canal Filling of Permanent Teeth: An In-Vitro Study.

Introduction: Achieving success in root canal (RC) therapy relies on three key components: comprehensive cleaning of the canal, efficient disinfection, and proper filling of the canal space. The present study aimed to compare the efficacy of four obturation techniques: single cone (SC), GuttaCore (GC), cold lateral condensation (LC), and C Point system for RC filling of permanent teeth.

Materials And Methods: 76 extracted human mandibular first premolars were divided into four groups, with 19 teeth in each group (group A, obturation with SC technique; group B, obturation with GC; group C, obturation with LC; and group D, obturation with C Point system). The samples were marked at 4 mm and 8 mm from the root apex using a marker and calliper, sectioned horizontally, and analyzed under a stereomicroscope at 20x magnification. The mean percentage (%) of gutta-percha (GP)-filled area was compared using a two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), followed by the Bonferroni post-hoc test.

Results: The mean percentage of GP-filled area at a distance of 4 mm from the apex was highest in group B (0.86±0.04; 95% CI: 0.845-0.881), followed by group D (0.70±0.07; 95% CI: 0.664-0.736), group A (0.61±0.05; 95% CI: 0.595-0.642), and least in group C (0.58±0.09; 95% CI: 0.543-0.627), and the difference was statistically significant (p≤0.05). The post-hoc pairwise comparison of groups at 4 mm revealed that there were statistically significant differences between group D and groups B, C, and A (p ≤ 0.001). The mean percentage of the GP area at a distance of 8 mm from the apex was highest in group B (0.81±0.10; 95% CI: 0.761-0.861), followed by group D (0.75±0.07; 95% CI: 0.725-0.792), group A (0.69±0.07; 95% CI: 0.658-0.729), and lowest in group C (0.65±0.10; 95% CI: 0.607-0.709), and this difference was statistically significant (p≤0.05). Post-hoc pairwise comparison of groups at 8 mm revealed that there was a statistically significant difference between groups D and C (p=0.006), whereas no statistically significant differences were noted between groups D and B (p=0.473). Furthermore, no statistically significant differences were noted between groups C and A at 4 mm and 8 mm (p>0.05).

Conclusion: Obturation with the GC system provided the best results in terms of the percentage of GP-filled area at 4 mm. However, at 8 mm from the apical region, both the GC and C Point systems provided similar results.