Obturation is the process of filling and sealing the root canal system. It involves placing a root canal sealer and core filling material into the cleaned and shaped root canal. The goals of obturation are to achieve a fluid-tight seal of the root canal to prevent reinfection. Common materials used for obturation include paper points, gutta percha, and sealers. Techniques for obturation include cold lateral condensation, warm condensation (vertical or lateral), and thermoplasticized gutta percha.

1. Obturation
Subject: Operative Dentistry
By: Dr. Syed Momin Jan

2. WHAT IS OBTURATION?
• According to American Association of Endodontists:
“Obturation is the method used to fill and seal a
cleaned and shaped root canal using a root canal sealer
and core filling material.”

3. PURPOSE OF OBTURATION
• To achieve three dimensional fluid tight seal of the root
canal
• To prevent bacterial micro leakage
• To achieve total obliteration of root canal space as to
prevent ingress of bacteria and body fluid into the canal
as well as their removal, if present in the canal
• To replace the empty root canal space with an inert
filling material to prevent recurrent infection

4. CRITERIA FOR OBTURATION
• The canal should be reasonably dry with no seeping of
fluids in the form of bleeding or serous discharge
• When patient is without sensitivity to percussion
• Teeth with no peri-radicular radiolucency
• After optimal cleaning and shaping is achieved

5. Factors influencing the efficacyof root
canaltreatment
• ABSENCE of pretreatment peri-apical lesion.
• Root canal fillings with NO VOIDS.
• OBTURATION to within 2.0 mm of
• the apex.
• An ADEQUATE coronal restoration.

6. Materials Used for
Obturation
• Paper points
• Gutta Percha
• Sealers
• Spreaders

7. Paper Points
• They are used for drying the canal after irrigation.

8. Gutta Percha
• The standard filling material is gutta-percha, a natural
polymer prepared from latex from the percha tree
(Palaquium gutta). The standard endodontic technique
involves inserting a gutta-percha cone (a "point") into
the cleaned-out root canal along with a sealing cement.

9. Sealers
• Root canal sealer is used along with Gutta Percha for
obturation of root canals. Some root canal sealers can be
complete sealers where no Gutta Percha is necessary.
Endodontic sealers have varying base compositions, some
may be Calcium Hydroxide, epoxide-amine resins, Barium
Sulfate, Bismuth Oxychloride and Zinc Oxide.

10. Spreaders
• 2 types of spreaders :
• Hand Spreaders
• Finger Spreaders
• Finger spreaders provide better tactile sensation &
are less likely to induce fracture in the root when compared
with the more traditional hand spreaders.
• Spreaders made from Nickel-Titanium are available and are
considered better when compared with Stainless Steel as they
provide :
• FLEXIBILITY
• STRESS
• DEEPER PENETRATION

12. Obturation Techniques
• Cold Lateral Condensation (Most commonly used)
• Warm Condensation:
(a) Vertical
(b) Lateral
• Continuous Wave Compaction Technique
• Thermoplasticized gutta-percha injection
• Carrier-based gutta-percha:
(a) Thermafil thermoplasticized
(b) SimpliFill sectional obturation
• McSpadden thermomechanical compaction
• Chemically plasticized gutta-percha
• Custom cone

13. Cold Lateral Condensation
• Lateral condensation is the most common technique for obturating
the root canal space. This technique can be used in most clinical
situations and can be modified to facilitate unusual cases. Before
performing obturation with lateral condensation, the clinician
prepares the root canal in a continuously tapering manner to an
endpoint that ideally coincides with the minor constriction often
referred to as the “working length”. A standardized point (the
"master cone") is selected with a diameter that is consistent with
the largest file used in the canal at the working length.
• The clinician grasps the master cone with forceps at the point
where the distance from the forceps to the tip is equal to the
working length and inserts it into the canal. If the fit is correct, the
point will exhibit "tug-back,” or resistance to removal at working
length. A radiograph is exposed to verify that the point is correctly
positioned in the canal. The cone is then removed, coated with
sealer, and reinserted.

14. • A spreader is selected that matches the length of the canal
and the taper of the points. Finger spreaders provide better
tactile sensation and are less likely to induce fractures in the
root than the more traditional D-1 1T spreader. Nickel-
titanium spreaders provide increased flexibility, reduce
stress, and penetrate deeper compared with stainless steel
instruments.
• The spreader is introduced into the canal to a depth that
approaches within 1 mm of the working lengths° and rotated
to create a space lateral to the master cone for placement of
an accessory cone. The process is repeated, with the cones
being condensed until the spreader can no longer penetrate
the mass. Only light pressure is required because the gutta-
percha is not compressible and because as little as 1.5 kg of
pressure is capable of fracturing the root. The excess gutta-
percha in the chamber is then seared off and lightly vertically
condensed with a heated plugger approximately 1 mm below
the orifices to the canals or the cementoenamel junction in
anterior teeth.

16. Warm Lateral Condensation
• Warm lateral condensation is a variant of traditional lateral
condensation. A heated instrument is introduced into a tooth
already obturated by lateral condensation to soften the gutta-
percha mass and enhance adaptation to the internal anatomy of
the canal. This technique is useful to increase the adaptation and
density of teeth obturated with lateral condensation, but it is
especially indicated for teeth with internal resorptive defects and
C-shaped canals.
• In this technique heat is used to thermoplasticize the gutta percha
and compact points. With any technique using heat it is important
to apply pressure to the gutta percha during cooling to counteract
the shrinkage that occurs as the filling material undergoes phase
changes on cooling. By applying heat to the gutta percha the forces
required for compaction are reduced. It is also possible to adapt
the thermoplasticized material to the irregularities within the
canal.

17. • Heat can be applied to the Gutta Percha using:
1. A heat carrier
2. An electrically heated tip (e.g. Touch and
Heat, or System B)
3. An ultrasonic tip
• The sequence of heat application is as follows:
• Make space for heated instrument with a cold spreader
• Place heated spreader into canal and laterally condense until
cool.
• Remove the spreader cold (thereby allowing for contraction
and reducing the risk of removing the gutta percha with the
instrument).
• Insert accessory cone and sealer.
• Repeat process until the canal is filled.

19. Warm Vertical Condensation
• By Schilder
• It is a method of three-dimensional filling the radicular space
• Preparation requirement : Preparing the canal with a continuously
tapering funnel and keeping the apical foramen as small as
possible.
• Instrument requirements : Variety of pluggers and heat source.
• Using heated pluggers, one applies pressure in a vertical direction
to the heat-softened gutta percha and thereby causes it to flow
and to fill the entire lumen of the canal.
• It’s indicated as an alternative to the cold lateral compaction
technique & when the fitting of a conventional master cone to the
apical portion of the canal is impossible, as when there is a ledge
formation, perforation, or unusual canal curvatures, internal
resorptions, or large lateral canals.

20. • Technique: A primary non-standardized or greater taper gutta-
percha cone corresponding to the last instrument used is fitted in
the canal in the usual manner. The canal wall is coated with a thin
layer of root canal sealer. The primary gutta-percha cone or master
cone is inserted upto the working length. The coronal end of the
cone is cut off with a heated instrument. A “heat carrier” such as
root canal plugger, is heated to redness and is immediately forced
into the coronal third of the gutta-percha. (An alternative is to
employ electric heat carriers like Touch n Heat or System B as they
permit temperature control of the heat carrier instrument. The
coronal gutta-percha is seared off be by the plugger as it is
removed from the canal. A vertical condenser or plugger of
suitable size is inserted, and the vertical pressure is applied to the
heated gutta-percha to force the plasticized material apically. This
alternative application of heat carrier and condenser is repeated
until the plasticized gutta-percha seals the larger accessory canals
and fills the lumen of the canal in three dimensions up to the
apical foramen. The remaining portion of the canal is plugged with
warm sections of additional pieces of gutta-percha.