This study was performed to evaluate the actual temperature rise on the surface of Buchanan plugger using thermocouple. The heat carrier system 'System B Heatsource' (Model 1005, Analytic Technologies, Redmond, WA, USA) and the Buchanan pluggers of F, FM, M and ML sizes are used for this study. The temperature was set to 200℃ on digital display and the power level on it was set to 10. Five thermocouples were placed in direct contact with the surface of each size of Buchanan's pluggers at 1 mm increments from the tip to the 4 mm length of shank. The heat control spring was touched for 5 seconds, and the temperature rise on the surface of the pluggers were measured at 1 sec intervals for more than 5 seconds with an accuracy of 0.01 using Data Logger. The data were statistically analyzed by one-way ANOVA.

The results were as follows.

The position at which the temperature peaked was approximately at 1~2 mm far from the tip of Buchanan plugger (p<0.01).

This results suggest that the actual temperature on the surface of the pluggers does not correlate well with the temperature set on digital display. Heat concentrates around the tip. The larger plugger reveals lower temperature rise relatively.

This study was conducted to evaluate the temperature rise on the root surface while the root canal is being obturated using continuous wave of condensation technique. Maxillary central incisor was prepared for repeated canal obturation. Ten thermocouples (Omega Engineering Inc., Stanford, USA) were placed at 1 mm increment from the anatomical root apex. The real temperature of Buchanan plugger was recorded before insertion into the root canal. The root canal was obturated with continuous wave of condensation technique as described by Buchanan and the root surface temperature was recorded during obturation at 150℃, 200℃, 250℃ and 300℃ temperature settings of System B HeatSource (Model 1005, Analytic technologies, Redmond, WA, USA). After completion of the temperature recording, the dentinal-cementum thickness at each sites was measured. The data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA followed by Scheffe' s test and linear regression test.

The results were as follows.

When the temperature was set at 150℃, 200℃, 250℃ and 300℃ on the digital display of System B HeatSource, the real temperature of the plugger at the 1mm point from the tip revealed 130.82±2.96℃, 158.00±5.26℃, 215.92±6.91℃ and 249.88±3.65℃ respectively.

These results suggest that it be relatively kind to the supporting tissues of the root that the root canal is obturated using continuous wave of condensation technique at 150℃, 200℃, 250℃ and 300℃ temperature settings on digital temperature display of System B HeatSource.