Presence of voids after warm vertical compaction and single‐cone obturation in band‐shaped isthmuses using micro‐computed tomography: A phantom study

The present micro‐computed tomography (micro‐CT) study compared the presence of voids in the band‐shaped isthmuses obturated by warm vertical compaction (WVC) and single‐cone (SC) techniques. Twenty mesial roots from mandibular first molar teeth showing a band‐shaped isthmus were selected and assigned into two groups based on their preoperative anatomical dimensions (n = 10), according to the filling technique: WVC or SC. Post‐filling micro‐CT scanning was performed. The percentage volume of root canal filling materials and voids were calculated and data were analyzed using the Mann–Whitney U test with a significance level of 5 and 95% confidence interval. Mean percentage volumes of filling materials and voids were 86.88 ± 8.53 and 13.11 ± 8.53 for the WVC group, 84.39 ± 8.30 and 15.60 ± 8.30 for the SC group, respectively, with no significant difference between them (p > .05). Neither WVC nor SC produced void‐free root canal fillings in the band‐shaped isthmuses and both techniques resulted in a similar quality of root canal filling.