Devices for injecting softened gutta-percha have been available for some time, but in the past have suffered from techniques which led to difficulty in accurate apical placement. The latest of these, the Obtura-II, has recently gained acceptance by endodontists. The machine resembles a glue-gun. Pellets of alpha-phase gutta-percha are softened at about 200 C in the handpiece, and extruded through a heated silver needle (Fig. 11).
A wide, well-prepared canal is a prerequisite. Although the manufacturers describe a procedure for total obturation of a root canal, apical control can be difficult. The machine has become accepted for two specific procedures.