Clinical and Radiographic Evaluation of Root Canal Obturation with Obtura II

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate clinical and radiographic healing of 87 patients of 131 teeth (236 canals). Methods: Ninety-four apical periodontitis, seven pulpal necrosis and thirty pulpitis requiring endodontic therapy were obturated with Obtura II system. All canal preparation and obturation with sealer performed by the one operator after extensive practice. All root canals were instrumented by the standardized apical-coronal preparation techniques. A quantifiable pain, periodontal, and radiographic evaluation was completed at 3, 6, 12 months. Immediately post-obuturation radiographs were compared to recall radiographs. Results: The level of the final root filling was classified to under filling (more than 2 mm short of the apex), flush filling (within 2 mm of the apex) and over filling (excess of the apex), 12.7%, 81.4% and 5.9%, respectively. More than 96% of the total cases were treated successfully using by Obtura II system. In case where the roots were filled to flush, over and under fillings, the lesions healed in 93%, 90% and 89% of the cases, respectively. The preoperative size of the periapical lesion was smaller in the over filling cases after 6 months. The obtained data were analyzed with Wilcoxon t-test. Conclusions: The outcome of treatment for roots with apical periodontitis was not dependent on the level of the root filling in relation to the root apex. Root filling excess had no impact on the healing process of the periapical lesion.