Clinical outcome of non-surgical root canal treatment using different sealers and techniques of obturation in 237 patients: A retrospective study

Objectives: The aim of this retrospective study was to compare the clinical results of two root canal sealers and three obturation techniques used for non-surgical root canal treatment. Materials and methods: A total of two hundred eighty-three root canal treated teeth in two hundred thirty-seven patients with minimum a 6-month follow-up was included for this study. The canals were filled with three different modes: 1) cold lateral condensation (CLC) and AH Plus Sealer; 2) continuous wave condensation technique (CWC) and AH Plus Sealer, and 3) sealer-based obturation technique (SBO) and AH Plus Bioceramic Sealer. The treatment outcome was analysed based on clinical signs and symptoms, and periapical radiograph (periapical index, PAI). Results: There were no significant differences in treatment outcome between various sealers and filling techniques applied. The sealer extrusion was found most frequently in the CWC group (60.67%), followed by SBO (59.21%) and CLC (21.19%) with statistically significant differences (p <.05). The initial diagnosis, previous treatment and sealer extrusion (p <.05) were prognostic factors that affected treatment outcome. Conclusions: Based on the findings of this study, neither the sealer type nor the filling technique affected the treatment success while preoperative diagnosis, previous treatment and sealer extrusion had significant effect on the outcome. Clinical relevance: A bioceramic sealant applied along with the single-cone technique might be considered as an alternative method in root canal obturation.