Comparative Analysis of the Percent Area Occupied by Filling Material in the Apical Root Canal Third Using Three Techniques

Objective: To compare the percent area filled by gutta-percha in the apical 2 and 4 mm of mesial canals of mandibular molars, using the following filling techniques: lateral condensation, modified McSpadden and TC system without main cone. Method: Fifteen mesial roots of sound human first and second mandibular molars with two canals and independent foramina were used, totalizing 30 canals. The specimens were randomly assigned to three groups, which were prepared by a manual double-flared instrumentation technique using Gates-Glidden drills and filled according to the proposed filling techniques. Next, the roots were sectioned at 2 and 4 mm from the apical foramina. The sections were examined under optical microscopy at x80 magnification. Images were captured with a digital camera and analyzed with Acad 14 soft ware to measure the percent area of the canal occupied by gutta-percha. Data were analyzed statistically by the Wilcoxon, Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney-U tests at a significance level of 5%. Results: Statistically significant differences (p<0.05) were found between the TC system without main cone and lateral condensation at 2 and 4 mm, and between the TC system without main cone and the modified McSpadden technique at 2 mm. No statistically significant differences (p>0.05) were found between the modified McSpadden and lateral condensation techniques. Conclusion: The best apical filling by gutta-percha was obtained with the TC system without main cone, followed by the modified McSpadden and the lateral condensation techniques.