A carrier based root canal obturator, with the carrier core provided with predefined surface features including axially and/or circumferentially distributed protrusions along the surface of the carrier core. The protrusions provide a stop, and also a support for the layer of surface coating dental filling/sealing material to guide insertion and seating of the carrier based obturator in the root canal. The carrier core includes a conical body having a flat surface in the axial direction, with a conical taper. The surface features defined at the surface of the conical body include discrete protrusions at two or more axial locations. In one embodiment, the heights of the protrusions are substantially flush with the external surface of the coating material. In manufacturing, the protrusions of the carrier core provide a mechanism to set the thickness for over-molding the surface coating layer onto the carrier core.
