Review of the Elements™ IC Endo Obturation System

A few years back, I decided it was time to update to a new endo obturation system. At the time, I had been using two separate systems for over ten years: the System B™ for downpacking and the HotShot® for backfilling.

While they were serving me just fine, they weren’t working quite as well as they had in the past. And with new endodontic technology being released all the time, I figured it was worth trying something new to see if I could find a system that suited me better.

After doing some research, I landed on KaVo Kerr’s Elements™ IC obturation system. (As a side note, the KaVo Kerr Group is no longer a joint company.) To be honest, the first couple of months were a bit of a learning curve—but that’s to be expected. Anytime you get out of your comfort zone, there’s going to be a transition period. After a while, I settled into a rhythm, and I’ve been using the system ever since!

To help you decide whether the Elements™ IC is the right fit for your practice, check out my review below. I compare it to my old System B™ and HotShot® to give you some context and provide you with an alternative endo obturation system.

Prefer to watch rather than read? Dive right into the details by checking out my video review.

If you haven’t yet seen my video of the M4 Handpiece (another one of my favorite tools!), you should watch that one too!System B™/HotShot® vs. Elements™ IC Endo Obturation System 

System B™/HotShot® vs. Elements™ IC Endo Obturation System 

Review of System B™/HotShot®

Starting with the System B™, which is used for the downpacking portion of the obturation, one of the major pros of this endo obturation system is that it controls temperature really well. This is something you always want with any obturation unit, so it’s a big plus! Without it—let’s say on a touch and heat—there’s no way to tell how hot it’s getting, and if you overuse it, you could easily overheat the tooth and fry the periodontal ligament (PDL). While you can always adjust the temperature, I recommend you set it at around 200.

Another thing I really love is the ergonomics of the System B™ handpiece. It’s like a little pen, so it feels really nice in your hand and can be easily maneuvered inside the tooth. That said, the unit  itself is also a little heavy, so it’s not ideal if you need to move it from room to room. 

Overall, though, the System B™ is truly a classic, reliable endo obturation system. It would be a solid choice for your practice!

Moving on to the HotShot®, which is used for the backfill component of the obturation, I LOVE that it’s cordless. I used to have the Obtura gun, which was a corded unit, and for me, the HotShot® is a major improvement.

In addition to being cordless, another advantage of the HotShot® is that it’s compatible with any gutta percha pellet. I personally go for the Obtura pellets because of the radiopacity they give me on the x-ray, as well their packability. I feel like they get me a really dense fill.

The downside is that you have to use a lot of pressure to extrude the material out of the gun, and it can cause some hand fatigue. I definitely don’t miss that now that I’m using a different endo obturation system.

The last aspect of the HotShot® I want to comment on is the tips. Overall, they’re great, because you can swivel them to get a nice small gauge that allows you to go pretty deep into the canal. It also gets hot, so if you leave it in the canal for a few seconds, it will soften up the top of the downpack. That way, your backfill can coalesce nicely and you can pack everything in together without any voids.

On the other hand, the tips are on the pricey side. So once they break and you have to buy more, the expenses can really add up! All in all, though, I like the HotShot® for backfilling, as long as you keep in mind that it’s not the easiest to maneuver. 

Review of Elements™ IC

After several years of using the Elements™ IC, I can confidently say that it’s the best endo obturation system I’ve used to date. For one thing, the fact that it has handpieces for both downpacking and backfilling is super convenient. Why have two different systems when you can use one?

For another, I love that I can use the same tips I used to use in my System B™ for the downpack portion of the unit. So if, like me, you switch from a System B™ to the Elements™ IC, you can save a good amount of money by using the tips you already have.

The downpacking portion also has great temperature control, just like the System B™. It goes up to 200, and the activator is simply a little white ring. Plus, it’s super ergonomic, which is something I look for in any endo obturation system. When you do a lot of root canals, anything that makes the process easier on your body is a huge help!

The only downside to the downpacking part of the Elements™ IC is that the handpiece is a bit bulkier than the System B™. It took a while to get used to, but now that I’ve been using it for several years, it feels pretty comfortable. So to be honest, it’s not really a downside after all!

In terms of the backfill component, it’s much easier to maneuver than the HotShot®, and it’s also fairly ergonomic despite the handpiece being on the thicker side. I don’t have to make that weird trigger motion like I did with the HotShot®, which is a major plus, in my opinion.

I also think the tips for this system are great. They’re extremely flexible, and you can get different gauges and flowability of the gutta percha. The downside is that they only take one type of gutta percha.

Although the System B™ and HotShot® served me for many years, the Elements™ IC has become my favorite endo obturation system. Between the downpack/backfill combo, the ergonomics, and the variety of other great features, I think I’ll be sticking with this one for many years to come! Using the right tools and processes is key to performing a successful root canal. Check out my free Endodontic Instrumentation Workflow to help you develop a baseline protocol that produces the best possible outcome for your patients.

– Sonia