ROEN0310

06 I I clinical report _ continuous wave technique _I invented theContinuousWaveofObturation Technique (CWOT) in 1986 and used it with the Touch’n Heat (SybronEndo) until the winter season of 1988/1989. At this time, Johan Massreillez of AnalyticTechnologiesaskedmewhetherIcoulduse hisheatsourcewithtemperaturecontrol-designed for hospital surgical operating rooms. It worked better for my technique and pluggers, as it was easier to control the heat. In 1994, SybronEndo bought Analytic Technologies and the rest is his- tory. As with any method of obturation, its success is completely dependent upon the cleaning and shaping of the root canal system. The steps for the CWOT are detailed below. _Step 1: Down-pack Once cone-fit has been accomplished and radio- graphically confirmed, the Continuous Wave (CW) plugger that matches the gutta-percha cone is fitted inthecanal.Thetipshouldbefittedwithin5mmfrom the canal terminus, never closer than 3mm. Thecanalisdriedandmeasuredonelasttimewith feather-tipped GT Series X paper points, the cone is trimmed to be 1.5mm short, coated with sealer, and cementedinthecanal.Theconecanthenbesearedat the orifice with the tip of the pre-heated CW plugger at an angle to the cone, and the butt-end can then be removed. The larger stainless-steel end of a CW hand pluggerisusedtocompactthesoftenedgutta-percha at the canal orifice. The cold CW electric heat plugger is pushed against the gutta-percha and the heated plugger is driven smoothly through the gutta-percha to within 3mm of the binding point. This single down-pack stroke should take 1.5 to 3.5 seconds, but never more than 4 seconds, for safety. The CW plugger will slow roots3_2010 The Continuous Wave of Obturation Technique for enhanced precision Author_ Dr L. Stephen Buchanan, USA Fig. 1 Fig. 2 Fig. 3 Fig. 4