4
STEP 5: Confirmation X-ray
Confirm your root canal treatment by taking X-rays.
STEP 6: Removal of excess central carrier and Gutta Percha
When the Gutta Percha has hardened (after 2-3 min.) remove the handle in one of two ways
(A5)
.
1. Lean the handle and metal insertion pin sharply to one side to break off the excess. You may pull
the handle up as needed and break for each millimetre.
2. Stabilize the plastic carrier with a finger, and cut away the handle and excess plastic core with a
small inverted cone bur.
Be careful to prevent vertical movement of the carrier to minimize the chance of disturbing the
apical seal. Trim away the extra Gutta Percha using an endo excavator or similar instrument.
3. Technique tips
It is
very easy to use the HEROfill
®
system. Feedback from experienced HEROfill
®
system users,
however, will hopefully make it even easier for you to get started.
Obturating multi-rooted cases
There will almost always be more than enough Gutta Percha on each HEROfill
®
Obturator. When
obturating the canal, the excess Gutta Percha and sealer will backfill to the coronal part of the tooth,
possibly blocking the adjacent opening. However, you can avoid this by:
• Obturating the shortest canal first.
• Placing Paper Points or HEROfill
®
Verifier in the other canals prior to obturation to prevent the
following root canals being blocked by Gutta Percha. Remove Paper Points or size HEROfill
®
Verifiers
as each canal is obturated.
• While there is sufficient Gutta Percha on each HEROfill
®
Obturator to fill even extremely long
canals, wide canals or internally resorbed canals, it may be too much in some cases. If it is obvious
that there will be an excess of Gutta Percha to fill the canal, use a sharp blade to trim some of the
material from the coronal end of the central carrier prior to heating.
• In some cases it can be beneficial to remove the handle/metal insertion pin from the actual plastic
carrier, especially in multi-rooted teeth where the extra space will make it easier to place the
following HEROfill
®
Obturators in the second and third canal.
Prior
to heating of the HEROfill
®
Obturator(s) and prior to
marking the working length, always assure
that the handle/metal insertion pin can be separated from the plastic carrier. This is done by twisting
the handle/metal insertion pin out of the plastic carrier. Re-insert the handle/metal insertion pin
into the plastic carrier.
Mark your working length and proceed to STEP 2 – STEP 4 (section 2).
Stabilize the plastic carrier with a cotton plier while the handle/metal insertion pin is twisted out.
Any excess material is removed as described in STEP 5 (section 2).
Use of sealer
As with any
other root filling technique, when using the HEROfill
®
System, always apply sealer in the
canal first. However, there is a significant difference when using HEROfill
®
System. Only apply a very
small amount using a HEROfill
®
Verifier or a Paper Point. A root spiral should not be utilized when
using HEROfill
®
Obturators as there is a tendency to add too much sealer to the canal. Remember;
only apply a very thin layer of sealer on the canal walls.
4. Post space preparation
Post space creation can be accomplished by removing the coronal portion of the
obturation. Since 6 mm of the plastic core is hollow, this procedure should be easier
compared to solid core obturators. Smooth round burs, preferably a ball burnisher with no
cutting flutes, are the most effective since they do not cut, but instead “melt” the gutta
