Assessment of effectiveness of three different Obturation Techniques used in Root Canal Treatment of Anterior Teeth

This study was undertaken to evaluate the Percentage of Gutta-Percha Filled Area (PGFA) in the apical third of root canals using microscopic analysis following obturation with the Thermafil technique, Warm Vertical Condensation technique, and Cold Lateral Condensation technique without the use of sealers. Sixty extracted single-rooted permanent teeth were decoronated and randomly allocated into three groups (n=20 each): Group I—Thermafil, Group II—Warm Vertical Condensation, and Group III—Cold Lateral Condensation. Following standardized biomechanical preparation, canals were obturated without sealers. Horizontal sections were obtained 2 mm from the apex and examined under a stereomicroscope. Digital image analysis was performed to calculate the PGFA. Data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA and Tukey's post hoc test, with statistical significance set at p<0.05. The Thermafil group demonstrated the highest mean PGFA (95.82 ± 2.31%), followed by Warm Vertical Condensation (93.74 ± 2.85%) and Cold Lateral Condensation (88.69 ± 3.24%). The difference among the groups was statistically significant (F=34.62, p<0.001). Pairwise comparisons revealed significantly higher PGFA for Thermafil compared with Warm Vertical Condensation (p=0.041) and Cold Lateral Condensation (p<0.001), while Warm Vertical Condensation also performed significantly better than Cold Lateral Condensation (p<0.001). A PGFA exceeding 95% was observed in 70% of Thermafil specimens compared with 40% and 10% of Warm Vertical and Cold Lateral Condensation specimens, respectively. Thermafil produced the highest gutta-percha-filled area in the apical third, followed by Warm Vertical Condensation, whereas Cold Lateral Condensation demonstrated the least favorable adaptation. Thermoplasticized obturation techniques provided significantly denser root canal fillings than conventional cold lateral condensation.