Evaluation of three root canal filling techniques through digital radiograph

Endodontic obturation consists of root canal filling by antiseptic or inert materials that promote a three-dimensional sealing and stimulate the repair process without interfering with it. Different obturation techniques and materials have been proposed to meet this requirement. Objective: To compare the root canal filling promoted by lateral condensation technique, Tagger's hybrid technique and McSpadden technique by assessing the filling quality through digital radiograph. Material and methods: A total of 45 extracted single-rooted human teeth were used and randomly divided into three experimental groups. After instrumentation, the teeth were filled by lateral condensation (n=15), Hybrid Tagger (n=15), and McSpadden techniques (n=15). Then, digital radiographs were taken with projected increased 10 times, at mesial-distal and buccolingual directions. Results: Visually, few empty spaces were detected at the three root thirds of teeth filled by different techniques. However, statistical analysis (Kruskal-Wallis) found no differences among the different groups, neither among the different thirds nor between both incidences evaluated. Conclusion: It was concluded that the three obturation techniques exhibited similar behavior in relation to the sealing of the root canal through digital radiograph.