[Canal obturation with the Ti-Flex cone. An in vitro trial of its tightness and its adaptation]

To compare, in vitro, the seal of Ti-Flex and GP cone obturations, to verify the adaptation of the Ti-Flex cone inside the obturated canal and to evaluate the density of the sealer material, eighty-two canals of freshly extracted teeth were manually prepared and obturated with corresponding Ti-Flex cones and with single GP cones. After dye infiltration the roots were transversally sectioned. On the first 5 apical sections (i.e. 3-5 mm from apex), the Ti-Flex obturations presented significantly more leakage than the GP obturations since no cones but only the sealer obturated these sections. The Ti-Flex cones appeared adapted to the walls in the apical and median segments of the canals. The density of the sealer in the Ti-Flex obturations was judged satisfactory in most of the specimens. The seal and adaptation defects of the Ti-Flex demonstrated in this study could be balanced by the limited effect of straightening the canal and thinning its dentinal wall of this anchoring system.