1 George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science, and Technology of Târgu-Mureș, Romania.
2 Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University, Burdur, Turkiye.
3 Akdeniz University, Antalya, Turkiye.
Introduction: The three-dimensional and hermetic obturation of the root canal is considered a fundamental element for successful root canal treatment. Aim of the study: This study aimed to compare the effects of different NiTi file systems and canal obturation techniques on the amount of root canal filling. Material and Methods: A total of 80 standardized transparent acrylic blocks (TABs) with canals of 17 mm length, a constant taper of 2%, and a curvature of 30 degrees were used. The canals were shaped using 4 different NiTi file systems [ProTaper Next (PTN), ProTaper Ultimate (PTU), VDW Rotate (VR), and XP-Endo Shaper (XPS)], with 20 samples per system. After shaping, TABs were weighed 3 times using a precision scale, and the averages were recorded. They were then randomly divided into 2 subgroups [Single Cone (SC) and Continuous Wave Compaction (CWC)], and canal obturation procedures were performed. After obturation, TABs were again weighed 3 times on a precision scale, averages were recorded, and weight differences were calculated. Statistical analyses included the Shapiro-Wilk test, one-way ANOVA, and Tukey HSD post-hoc tests. Results: Statistically significant differences were found among all groups (P < 0.05). The PTU-CWC group exhibited the highest filling amount (0.0248 ± 0.0032), while the lowest filling amount was observed in the XPS-SC group (0.0083 ± 0.0027). Among SC groups, VR-SC showed the highest filling amount and XPS-SC the lowest. Within CWC groups, the PTU-CWC group had significantly higher filling amounts compared to the other groups, while no significant differences were found among the PTN, VR, and XPS groups. Conclusions: The findings of this study indicate that the amount of root canal filling significantly varies depending on the NiTi file system and obturation technique used. Thermoplastic techniques generally produced similar results; however, the PTU system provided significantly greater filling amounts. In SC techniques, the VR system exhibited the highest, and the XPS system showed the lowest filling effectiveness.
