Comparative Evaluation of Influence of Three Different Obturation Techniques on Removal of Filling Material during Retreatment: An in vitro Study

Aim: To evaluate the influence of various obturating techniques on retreatment teeth.

Place and Duration of Study: Department of Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics, Institute of Dental Sciences, Jammu and Kashmir, India between December 2019 and February 2020.

Methodology: Sixty extracted mandibular premolars were randomly divided into three groups (n=20) based on the obturation technique adopted which endodontic treatment i.e., cold lateral compaction, thermoplasticized and GuttaFlow techniques. The samples were evaluated using micro-computed tomography for the volume before and after the retreatment to assess the remaining amount of filling material in the canals, and also the time taken for the removal of filling material during the retreatment. Data were analyzed using ANOVA followed by Post hoc test at P < 0.05.

Results: The percentage of remaining filling material was between 17%-27%. The highest percentage of remaining filling material was seen in samples obturated with GuttaFlow (P < 0.05). The time required for retreatment was highly significant in thermoplasticized technique (P < 0.05).

Conclusion: The type of obturating technique influenced the amount of filling material remained in the canal after retreatment and also the time taken during this removal.