APICAL SEALING OF THERMAFIL OBTURATORS IN CURVED CANALS

만곡근관에서 Thermafil의 근단폐쇄성에 관한 실험적 연구

The purpose of this study was to compare the apical sealing ability, overfilling and obturation of lateral canals using two gutta-percha techniques: Thermafil obturators and cold lateral condensation. Eighty numbered epoxide blocks with one major and five lateral canals were divided into four experimental groups and obturated according to experimental groups. Four experimental groups were as follows: Group 1 : Filling with Thermafil plastic obturators and sealer(ThermaSeal) Group 2 : Filling with Thermafil plastic obturators only, without sealer(ThermaSeal) Group 3 : Fillng using lateral condensation with sealer(AH-26) Group 4 : Fillng using lateral condensation without sealer(AH-26) All the blocks were stored in 100% relative humidor at room temperature for 7 days. Each block was placed in centrifuge tube filled with India ink, and then centrifuged for 20 minutes at 3,000 rpm. Apical leakage was measured from the apical foramen to the most coronal level of dye penetration in millimeter under a stereoscope. The length of gutta-percha and sealer in each of the lateral canals was measured, too. The presence or absence of overfilling of gutta-percha and sealer was recorded. The data was analyzed by one-way ANOVA. The obtained results were as follows: l. Apical dye leakage was almost: not occurred in Group Willed with Thermafil and sealer) and Group 3(filled using lateral condensation with sealer), and there was no significant difference in linear leakage between two groups(p>0.01). 2. In both Thermafil and lateral condensation groups, linear leakage of Group I, 3(filled with sealer) was less than that of Group 2, 4(filled without sealer), and there was no significant difference in linear leakage between Group 1, 2, 3(p> 0.01). 3. Overfilling during obturation of Group 1, 2(filled with Thermafil) was more than Group 3, 4(filled using lateral condensation), and there was no significant difference between groups(p> 0.05). 4. Groups filled with Thermafil had significantly more gutta-percha than groups filled using lateral condensation in all lateral canals(p <0.01), the total length of gutta-percha and sealer found in all lateral canals were similar in Group 1 and Group 3.