M. V. de Melo Ribeiro, Y. T. Silva-Sousa, M. A. Versiani, A. Lamira, L. Steier, J. D. Pecora, and M. D. de Sousa-Neto
Journal of Endodontics. 2013 March; 39(3):398-401.
INTRODUCTION: Cleaning and shaping of root canals are essential steps for the success of endodontic therapy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the tissue debridement efficacy of the self-adjusting file (SAF) protocol in the apical third of oval-shaped canals of mandibular incisors in comparison with a nickel titanium rotary system preparation.
METHODS: Twenty six single-rooted human mandibular incisor teeth were selected and assigned to a control (n = 4) and 2 experimental groups (n = 11) according to 1 of 2 instrumentation techniques, SAF and nickel-titanium rotary systems. After root canal preparation, the apical thirds of the specimens were submitted to histologic processing and analyzed by optical microscopy regarding the percentage of debris and un-instrumented root canal walls. The data were statistically compared by using unpaired t test with Welch’s correction, and the level of significance was set at 5%.
RESULTS: The percentage of remaining debris and un-instrumented canal perimeter was significantly lower in SAF group (2.18 ± 2.71 and 12.33 ± 7.85, respectively) than in rotary group (13.11 ± 12.98 and 53.54 ± 15.95, respectively) (P < .05). In the SAF group most of specimens were completely free of debris, whereas in the rotary group 53% of the canals presented debris.
CONCLUSIONS: SAF had significantly more contact to the dentin walls and removed more debris than rotary instrumentation in the apical third of mandibular incisors.
The full article is available online: ResearchGate.
