Presence of Voids after Continuous Wave of Condensation and Single-cone Obturation in Mandibular Molars: A Micro-computed Tomography Analysis

Introduction: The objective of this study was to assess the presence of voids in mesial root canals of mandibular molar teeth obturated by using the single-cone (SC) and continuous wave of condensation (CWC) obturation techniques, and results were analyzed by using micro computed tomography. Methods: Twenty-four mandibular molars with fully developed roots and mesial root curvature ranging from 25 degrees to 35 degrees were instrumented by using Reciproc R25 files, and then they were obturated by using the SC and CWC techniques. Specimens were scanned before and after obturation for micro computed tomography analysis (voxel size, 17.42 mu m). After volumetric analysis and tridimensional reconstruction of the root canals, data were analyzed by using analysis of variance and the Tukey test. Results: No significant differences were observed between the 2 techniques in terms of total percentage volume of voids: CWC = 3.91% +/- 0.72%; SC = 6.52% +/- 1.16% (P > .05). Only in the cervical third, CWC showed a significantly lower percentage of voids when compared with SC, namely 2.86% +/- 0.94% vs 8.00% +/- 1.86%, respectively (P < .05). Conclusions: The percentage volume of voids was similar in the 2 groups and was influenced by the obturation technique only in the cervical third.