(TC19) Predictable BC Putty Handling Techniques for Apical Plugs

Non-surgical root canal treatment on mature teeth is more predictable since they have closed apices, which can be sealed with gutta-percha and sealer. Immature teeth in need of non-surgical root canal treatments present challenges due to their large apical foramina, which cannot be adequately sealed using traditional obturation techniques. Clinicians often use an apical plug in these cases. After placing the plug, the remainder of the canal space is obturated with gutta-percha and sealer. The apical plug is usually a bioceramic material. These bioceramic materials offer many advantages; however, one disadvantage is its handling properties. Clinicians will frequently have difficulty in handling this material when attempting to place it apically in these immature teeth. The biocermaic putty can be placed to length using pluggers along with paper points or gutta-percha points. However, this method is not predictable due to the adhesion of the bioceramic putty to the pluggers or other materials. This table clinic discusses a method that can be used by clinicians to help with predictable placement of apical plugs with a bioceramic putty. After initial condensation of bioceramic putty into the apical third, a small amount of thermoplasticized gutta-percha can be placed over the putty to create a platform. This platform can be more predictably condensed with a plugger and allows a denser plug at the accurate length. This safe, easy, and effective method can help clinicians when obturating teeth with open apices.