Apical sealing efficacy of endodontic obturation techniques.

Summary. This study in vitro utilized methylene blue dye to evaluate root canal apical leakage after maxillary central incisors were serially instrumented and obturated with laterally condensed guta-percha and sealer, a single fitted gutta-percha master cone and sealer, sealer alone or paste alone. The linear extent of dye penetration was measured, and the volume of dye leakage was evaluated using a dye-recovery spectrophotometric technique. Under the conditions of this study, the teeth obturated with laterally condensed gutta-percha and sealer exhibited the least leakage. The single gutta-percha cone and sealer technique had no advantage over use of sealer or paste when used alone.