Presence of voids after warm vertical compaction and single-cone obturation in band-shaped isthmuses using micro-computed tomography: A phantom study

The present micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) study compared the presence of voids in the band-shaped isthmuses obturated by warm vertical compaction (WVC) and single-cone (SC) techniques. Twenty mesial roots from mandibular first molar teeth showing a band-shaped isthmus were selected and assigned into two groups based on their preoperative anatomical dimensions (n = 10), according to the filling technique: WVC or SC. Post-filling micro-CT scanning was performed. The percentage volume of root canal filling materials and voids were calculated and data were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U test with a significance level of 5 and 95% confidence interval. Mean percentage volumes of filling materials and voids were 86.88 +/- 8.53 and 13.11 +/- 8.53 for the WVC group, 84.39 +/- 8.30 and 15.60 +/- 8.30 for the SC group, respectively, with no significant difference between them (p > .05). Neither WVC nor SC produced void-free root canal fillings in the band-shaped isthmuses and both techniques resulted in a similar quality of root canal filling.