Comparing voids in three root canal obturation techniques: a Micro-CT study

Abstract Objectives: Micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) is an invaluable tool in measuring residual voids after filling root canals as an indicator of the quality of root canal treatment. This study compares void volumes in root canals filled using the cold lateral condensation (CLC) continuous wave (CWC), or single cone (SC) techniques. METHODS: 99 maxillary premolars allocated according to internal anatomy into three matching groups. The root canals were shaped and cleaned and filled with Gutta‑percha and TubliSeal® EWT sealer using cold lateral condensation (CLC), continuous wave condensation (CWC) or single cone (SC) technique. Void volumes were calculated using a novel software at 30 µm isotropic voxel size resolution. The total void volumes (TVVs) for each technique were statistically compared using Mann-Whitney non-parametric test. RESULTS: The mean percentage of the TVVs (%TVVs) found in SC (1.86±1.64%) group was statistically higher than that in CLC (0.75±0.45%) group, which in turn had statistically significantly more %TVVs than CWC (0.55±0.52%) group. CONCLUSION: The results of this study show that, in maxillary premolars, the SC obturation method resulted in significantly larger %TVVs than both CLC and CWC. The CWC technique resulted in significantly less %TVVs compared to CLC and SC methods.