A comparison of clinical root canal therapy performed by third-year dental students using canal master instruments to that performed using K-files

Abstract

Clinical root canal therapy performed in the mesial canals of mandibular molars by third-year dental students during an academic year when all instrumentation was with K-files was compared to that performed the subsequent year by third-year students using the Canal Master (CM) system. The overall quality of the CM cases was significantly better than that of the K-file cases. The students' ability to maintain original canal shape was also significantly better in the CM cases as was their ability to enlarge canals to an appropriate size and to fill them to working length without voids. Clinical root canal therapy performed in the mesial canals of mandibular molars by third-year dental students during an academic year when all instrumentation was with K-files was compared to that performed the subsequent year by third-year students using the Canal Master (CM) system. The overall quality of the CM cases was significantly better than that of the K-file cases. The students' ability to maintain original canal shape was also significantly better in the CM cases as was their ability to enlarge canals to an appropriate size and to fill them to working length without voids.