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Chapter 27
The Schilder’s technique of vertical compaction of warm gutta-percha
Prefitting of pluggers The pluggers must be prefitted into the canal to determine the depth to which they can be introduced without touching the dentin walls. The essence of the technique is to capture the maximal cushion of softened gutta-percha and to compact it vertically.10 Starting with a sufficiently wide plugger, that descends in the coronal one third of the canal (e.g., a Maillefer # 10 or a blue B&L, Bio Tech, Korea) and advancing to smaller sizes. If the plugger has been supplied with a rubber stop, the instrument is introduced into the canal and the stop is positioned just before the instrument touches the dentinal walls (! 27.19a). Next, a second plugger (e.g., a # 9 or yellow B&L, Bio Tech, Korea) is selected, that descends into the middle one third, again adjusting its rubber stop
a
b
(! 27.19b). Finally, a third, narrower plugger, that descends into the apical one third is advanced to a point about 5 mm from the apical foramen (e.g., a # 8 or 81/2 or a black B&L, Bio Tech, Korea), and its stop is also adjusted (! 27.19c). If the clinician used a plugger of smaller size to compact a wide surface of gutta-percha, the instrument would sink into the heat-softened material without exerting any pressure (! 27.20). In contrast, a wide plugger captures the largest amount of gutta-percha, compacting it not only apically but also, without any force, laterally (! 27.21). The pluggers must never touch the dentin walls, since by doing so it will no longer exert any pressure on the gutta-percha for compaction purposes, while potentially causing damage (e.g. crack or root fracture) by their wedging action.
c
! 27.19 a) Prefitting the first plugger in the coronal one third. The rubber stop is positioned immediately before the tip of the instrument makes contact with the dentin walls. b) Prefitting the second plugger in the middle one third. c) Prefitting the smallest plugger. Its working depth is about 5 mm from the apical foramen.
