The thermomechanical properties of gutta-percha. Part IV. A thermal profile of the warm gutta-percha packing procedure.

A thermal profile of the warm gutta-percha technique was produced by the thermocouple instrumentation of natural teeth and the subsequent monitoring of intraradicular temperature changes during the packing procedure. Although variations in thermal patterns resulted from individual differences in timing and instrumentation, certain clinically accepted patterns of activity produced consistent, representative temperature ranges to which the gutta-percha in the body of the canal was 80 degrees C., while the over-all peak temperature recorded in the apical region was 45 degrees C. Thermal penetration of the gutta-percha was expectedly limited, with significant thermal effects rarely exhibited more than 4 to 6 mm. into the material.