2. PURPOSE OF OBTURATION
• a. Prevents percolation and microleakage of
periapical exudate into the root canal space.
• b. Prevents infection by completely obliterating
the apical foramen and other portals of
communication.
• c. Creates a favorable environment for process of
healing to take place.
3. • 1. To achieve total obliteration of the root canal space
so as to prevent ingress of bacterias and body fluids
into root canal space as well as egress of bacterias
which are left in canal.
• 2. To attain fluid tight seal so as to prevent bacterial
microleakage.
• 3. To replace the empty root canal space with an inert
filling material so as to prevent recurrent infection.
• 4. To seal the root canal space as well as to have
coronal seal for long term success of root canal
therapy.
4. Materials used for obturation
• Plastics: Gutta-percha, resilon
• Solids or metal cores: Silver points, Gold, stainless
steel, titanium and irridio-platinum.
• Cements and pastes:
– Hydron
– MTA
– Calcium phosphate
– Gutta flow
5. Characteristics of an ideal root canal filling material
1. Easily introduced in the canal.
2. Seal canal laterally and apically.
3. Dimensionally stable after being inserted.
4. Impervious to moisture.
5. Bacteriostatic or at least should not encourage
bacterial growth.
6. Radiopaque.
7. Non staining to tooth structure.
8. Non irritating.
9. Sterile/easily sterilized.
10. Removed easily from canal if required
7. Advantages of gutta-percha
• Compactiblity: adaptation to canal walls
• Inertness: makes it non-reactive material
• Dimensionally stable
• Tissue tolerance
• Radiopacity: easily recognizable on radiograph
• Plasticity: becomes plastic when heated
• Dissolve in some solvents like chloroform, eucalyptus oil, etc.
This property makes it more versatile as canal filling
material.
8. Disadvantages
• Lack of rigidity: Bending of gutta-percha is seen
when lateral pressure is applied. So, difficult to use
in smaller canals
• Easily displaced by pressure
• Lacks adhesive quality.
10. Requirements of an ideal root canal sealer
• Should be tacky when mixed to provide good adhesion between
it and the canal wall when set.
• Should create hermetic seal.
• Should be radiopaque.
• Powder particles size should be very fine, for easy mixing with
liquid.
• Should not shrink upon setting.
• Should not stain tooth structure.
11. • Should be non-irritating to periradicular tissue.
• Should be soluble in a common solvent.
• Should not provide immune response in periradicular tissue.
• Should not be mutagenic or carcinogenic
• Should be bacteriostatic.
• Should set slowly.
• Should be insoluble in tissue fluids
12. Functions of root canal sealers
• As antimicrobial agent
• Fill the discrepancies between the materials and dentin walls
• As binding agent
• As lubricant
• Give radiopacity
• As canal obturating material