TTP-8 - To The Point Lecture: MTA Obturation in Nonsurgical Retreatment

The quality of root filling and obturation length have been shown by meta-analysis to be a significant prognostic factor for non-surgical retreatment. Thermoplastic and cold-compaction obturation techniques have both been shown to provide acceptable obturation quality. But the teeth initially obturated by warm vertical compaction exhibit more cracks following retreatment compared to the teeth that received single-cone technique or cold lateral condensation as the initial obturation techniques. Bioceramic sealers combined with a well-fitted single gutta-percha cone have shown promising success rates in a retrospective cohort study. However, the obturation technique with gutta-percha and sealer to resist microleakage has a considerable drawback in modern endodontic treatment because obturation using gutta-percha and sealer may not have characteristics preferable to unmodified mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) cement such as improved antibacterial properties, generation of an interfacial layer with dentin, and consistent reformation of the periodontium when MTA cement is applied in retreatment cases.

Obturation using unmodified MTA or other calcium silicate cements (CSCs) is also associated with some drawbacks such a longer obturation time and the unique technique sensitivity. The root canal preparation technique for MTA obturation is also different from the conventional root canal preparation technique for root filling using gutta-percha and sealer, which is the most familiar to the majority of experienced dentists and endodontists and can be considered as shortcomings.

In the lecture, those advantages of MTA obturation over the conventional obturation techniques using gutta-percha and sealer in retreatment including the root canal preparation techniques and easy MTA obturation techniques will be shown and highlighted with clinical case reports.

No CE is awarded for To the Point Lectures