Impact of Repeated Activation on Heat Output of Electric Pluggers
Abstract
Electric pluggers that output repeatable and reliable heat are required to thermoplasticize gutta percha for endodontic obturation. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the accuracy and reliability of heat output by Buchanan electronic pluggers after repeated activation cycles. Methods: The Elements Obturation Unit (Kerr Endodontics) was operated in downpack mode according to the manufacturers recommendations with a temperature of 200 deg. C and automatic cutoff after four seconds of continuous activation. Fifteen Buchanan Heat Pluggers (Kerr Endodontics) were tested,five of each of the following sizes: Extra Fine (XF:30/.04), Fine (F:55/.06), and Fine Medium (FM:55/.08). Pluggers were allowed to cool for 5-10 seconds between activations, and were activated 25 times per day for 80 days. There were a total of 2,000 activationsper plugger. A thermocouple secured in a custom-made jig, and an electronic data logger (Omega Engineering Inc.) were used to record a single peak temperature for each plugger at the final activation of each day. Results: There was no significant change in heat generation across 2,000 activations for any of the plugger sizes. Size XF (0.04) pluggers output heat at a significantly lower temperature compared to the F (0.06) and FM (0.08) pluggers. Three of the five XF pluggers lost functionality before reaching 2,000activations. Conclusions: Buchanan Heat Pluggers in sizes F (0.06) and FM (0.08) can reliably output heat at a level appropriate to thermoplasticize gutta percha for up to 2,000 activations. Size XF (0.04) pluggers may be prone to lower temperature output than larger plugger sizes.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 02, 2022
- Accession Number
- AD1186237
Entities
People
- Andrew D. Henning
Organizations
- Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences