NiTi Rotary Endodontic Instruments Research Articles

In vitro resistance to fracture of two nickel-titanium rotary instruments made with different thermal treatments.

Aim of the study was to evaluate effectiveness of different heat treatments in improving Ni-Ti endodontic rotary instruments' resistance to fracture. 24 new NiTi instruments similar in length and shape: 12 M3 instruments, tip size 25 and .06 taper (United Dental, Shanghai, China), and 12 M3 Pro Gold instruments tip size 25 and .06 taper (United Dental, Shanghai, China), were tested in a 60° curved artificial root canal. Each group received a different heat treatment. Cycles to fracture were calculated for each instrument. Differences among groups were evaluated with an analysis of variance test (significance level was set at P<0.05.). Statistical analysis found significant differences (p<0.0213) between groups. The M3 Pro Gold instruments were significantly more resistant to fatigue (mean values = 1012, SD +/- 77) than M3 instruments (mean values = 748, SD +/- 62). No statistically significant differences were found between fragments' lengths (p>0,05). An increased flexibility and the reduction of internal defects produced by heat treatments during or after manufacturing processes, may be responsible for improving resistance to cyclic fatigue and flexural stresses.

Dentinal Defects in Endodontically Treated Teeth using NiTi Rotary vs Reciprocating Endodontic Instruments- A Systematic Review

Dentinal Defects in Endodontically Treated Teeth using NiTi Rotary vs Reciprocating Endodontic Instruments- A Systematic Review

Movement kinematics and cyclic fatigue of NiTi rotary instruments: a systematic review.

The aim of this review was to provide a detailed analysis of the literature concerning the correlation between different movement kinematics and the cyclic fatigue resistance of NiTi rotary endodontic instruments. From June 2014 to August 2015, four independent reviewers comprehensively and systematically searched the Medline (PubMed), EMBASE, Web of Science, Scopus and Google Scholar databases for works published since January 2005, using the following search terms: endodontics; nickel-titanium rotary files; continuous rotation; reciprocating motion; cyclic fatigue. In addition to the electronic searches, manual searches were performed to include articles listed in the reference sections of high-impact published articles that were not indexed in the databases. Laboratory studies in English language were considered for this review. The electronic and manual searches resulted in identification of 75 articles. Based on the inclusion criteria, 32 articles were selected for analysis of full-text copies. Specific analysis was then made of 20 articles that described the effects of reciprocating and continuous movements on cyclic fatigue of the instruments. A wide range of testing conditions and methodologies have been used to compare the cyclic fatigue resistance of rotary endodontic instruments. Most studies report that reciprocating motion improves the fatigue resistance of endodontic instruments, compared to continuous rotation, independent of other variables such as the speed of rotation, the angle or radius of curvature of simulated canals, geometry and taper, or the surface characteristics of the NiTi instruments.

Effectiveness of hand versus rotary instrumentation on retreatment of curved canals

Background: Various nickel–titanium (NiTi) rotary endodontic instruments have been developed to facilitate cleaning and shaping of root canals. This study aimed to evaluate the efficiency, cleaning ability and safety of two different rotary NiTi instruments with a solvent versus hand files in the removal of canal fillings. Methods: Forty five simulated canals with 35° curves made of clear polyester resin were used in this study. All canals were prepared with K-files and filled using cold lateral compaction of gutta-percha and AH Plus sealer. The teeth were randomly divided into three groups of 15 specimens each. Removal of gutta-percha was performed with the following techniques: Hedstrom files, ProTaper Universal rotary retreatment system and Mtwo-R. All techniques were used with the solvent chloroform. The followings factors were evaluated: time taken to reach working length, time for gutta-percha removal, total time, apically extruded material during filling removal and number of fractured instruments. Pre- and post-reinstrumentation weights of all the blocks were recorded and efficacy capacity of each retreatment technique was assessed. Results: The canal wall clearance efficiency of ProTaper retreatment files were more successful than Mtwo-R and hand instruments. With respect to the difference between pre- and post-reinstrumentation weights, Mtwo-R was the most effective instrumentation technique. Regarding the mean time of retreatment and time required for reaching the working length, Mtwo-R instruments were significantly faster than the others. In addition, the hand instrumentation was more successful comparing to others in terms of the amount of apically extruded material. Conclusion: Under experimental conditions, Mtwo-R/Mtwo and ProTaper retreatment instruments proved to be efficient and time-saving devices for the removal of gutta-percha .

Electrochemical‐induced dissolution of nickel–titanium endodontic instruments with different designs

To compare the active dissolution process of K3, ProTaper and Mtwo NiTi endodontic rotary instruments in chloride and fluoride containing solutions. Anodic polarization of K3 size 20, 0.06 taper, ProTaper size F1 and MTwo size 20, 0.06 taper instruments was performed, and anova (P<0.05) was used to compare the weight loss, the time of dissolution and the electrical charge generated by the groups of instruments. Fragments of the instruments were polarized in simulated root canals to evaluate the dissolution process. After the tests, a size 10K-file was used to verify whether the fragment could be bypassed. Radiographic analysis of the simulated canals was used before and after the tests to verify fragment dissolution. A progressive consumption of the instruments was observed. K3 and ProTaper instruments had significantly greater weight loss than Mtwo instruments after 30min of polarization. K3 instruments had the highest values of total electrical charge, and MTwo instruments the lowest (P<0.05). After 60min, the anodic polarization of instrument fragments in simulated root canals resulted in their partial dissolution. The anodic polarization of K3, ProTaper and MTwo instruments resulted in their progressive consumption with increasing polarization time. Sixty minutes anodic polarization of the various NiTi instrument fragments in simulated root canals resulted in their partial dissolution.

Fatigue behavior of lubricated Ni-Ti endodontic rotary instruments

The use of Ni-Ti alloys in the practice of endodontic comes from their important properties such as shape memory and superelasticity phenomena, good corrosion resistance and high compatibility with biological tissues. In the last twenty years a great variety of nickel-titanium rotary instruments, with various sections and taper, have been developed and marketed. Although they have many advantages and despite their increasing popularity, a major concern with the use of Ni-Ti rotary instruments is the possibility of unexpected failure in use due to several reasons: novice operator handling, presence manufacturing defects, fatigue etc. Recently, the use of an aqueous gel during experimental tests showed a longer duration of the instruments. The aim of the present work is to contribute to the study of the fracture behavior of these endodontic rotary instruments particularly assessing whether the use of the aqueous lubricant gel can extend their operative life stating its reasons. A finite element model (FEM) has been developed to support the experimental results. The results were rather contradictory, also because the Perspex (Poly-methyl methacrylate, PMMA) cannot simulate completely the dentin mechanical behavior; however the results highlight some interesting points which are discussed in the paper.

Fatigue life enhancement of NiTi rotary endodontic instruments by progressive reciprocating operation

To evaluate the effect of reciprocating amplitude and progressive angular increment on fatigue life enhancement of NiTi rotary endodontic instruments. ProTaper F2 instruments were operated in steel artificial canals with both stationary reciprocating (SR) and progressive reciprocating (PR) motions. The SR motions involved symmetric to and fro reciprocation of ± 180(o) , ± 135(o) , ± 90(o) , ± 60(o) and ± 45(o) . The PR motions were ± 45(o) stationary motion superimposed with angular increments of 7(o) , 11(o) , 22.5(o) or 31(o) whenever an instrument completed 1, 10 or 30 reciprocating cycles (rc). The fatigue lives were compared with those under continuous rotation (CR) and a reciprocating operation with a forward 144(o) and backward 72(o) motion proposed by Yared (2008). The statistical significance of these operating modes on fatigue life was examined using one way anova and post hoc Tukey's tests at P = 0.05. Fractographic analysis was also applied to probe the fracture mechanisms of different rotation motions. Fatigue life increased with decreasing reciprocating amplitude. Operating in the SR increased fatigue life by 355% over that in the CR. Except for the 22.5(o) increment, all PR motions yielded longer fatigue lives than the SR motion. A progressive reciprocating operation with a ± 45(o) reciprocating amplitude and a + 7(o) progressive angular increment every 10 reciprocating cycles (± 45(o) /10rc/+7(o) ) increased fatigue life by 990% over that in the CR motion. In terms of life enhancement over the CR motion, the larger the curvature the less are the differences between different movements. Single crack initiation sites were found in the CR and SR motions, while three crack initiation sites were typical in the ± 45(o) /10rc/+7(o) motion. Fatigue life increased with decreasing reciprocating amplitude in stationary reciprocation. A progressive reciprocating operation with ± 45(o) /10rc/+7(o) motion led to significant fatigue life enhancement and multiple fatigue crack initiation in NiTi endodontic instruments.

&lt;i&gt;In Situ&lt;/i&gt; Fatigue Crack Initiation Monitoring in NiTi Rotary Endodontic Instruments

During clinical operation in root canals, NiTi endodontic rotary instruments are subjected to alternating tension and compression and are prone to accidental fracture without prior warning. Once broken, extracting the fractured part from the canal is difficult and is annoying to both the patient and the dentist. Warning of an imminent fracture during clinical use will be a great help to avoid medical and legal complications. To this end, a monitoring technique that involves the picking up and analysis of the stress wave signals due to the cutting and rubbing at the canal wall-instrument blade interface was investigated. Both the stress wave conducted through solid and the sound wave conducted in air were monitored. The former was picked up by a Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) and the latter with a microphone. When cracking developed in a rotary instrument, we expect the natural vibration frequency of the instrument as well as the characteristics of cutting/rubbing with the canal wall change. From the raw signal intensity history, it is possible to differentiate whether the instrument is operating but there is no clue when a fatigue crack has initiated. By employing Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) on the signal, we can reveal the energy associated with different frequencies. With characteristic frequency we refer to the frequency that is associated with the highest signal intensity. It was found that the energy intensity of the characteristic frequency varied in a well-defined pattern during the process of fatigue testing of the rotary instrument. Towards the end of fatigue life, a large intensity spike of the characteristic frequency was observed and this was shown to be associated with the occurrence of a fatigue crack. It is hoped that with this information, the fatigue failure of rotary instruments can be closely monitored to avoid/alleviate the occurrence of unexpected fracture during clinical use.

An ex vivo comparative analysis on shaping ability of four NiTi rotary endodontic instruments using spiral computed tomography

Objective:Analysis of shaping ability of four different rotary endodontic instruments using spiral computed tomography (CT).Materials and Methods:Eighty freshly extracted human mandibular first molars were used in the present study. Samples were randomly divided into four experimental groups with twenty samples in each group. Images of mesiobuccal canal of each sample were obtained pre- and post-operatively using spiral CT. All samples were prepared using their respective endodontic file systems (group I - ProTaper, group II - K3, group III - RaCe, and group IV - Mtwo). Image analyses were done using image analysis software for evaluation of canal transportation and centering ability. Data was then statistically analyzed using analysis of variance.Results:There was no statistically significance in transportation in their intergroup difference at any of the three locations (coronal, middle, and apical third). In centering ability there was no statistically significance in the coronal and middle third of the intergroup. However, there was a statistically significance of (P = 0.044) at the apical third between all the groups.Conclusion:Canals prepared with ProTaper had more canal transportation at all the three levels of root canal (coronal, middle, and apical third). Canals prepared with Mtwo were well centered at coronal and middle third whereas with RaCe canals were centered only at the apical third. All instruments showed some degree of canal aberrations in terms of shaping ability.

The effect of curvature angle and rotational speed on the cyclic fatigue of three types of rotary instrument (In vitro): comparative study

The fracture of instruments within root canal during endodontic treatment is a common incidence, fracture because of fatigue through flexure occurs due to metal fatigue, this study aimed to assess the effect of curvature angle and rotational speed on the cyclic fatigue of different type of Endodontic NiTi Rotary Instruments and compare among them. Materials and method: Three types of rotary instruments with tip size 0.25: ProTaPer F2 (Densply, Malifier) Revo-S SU( 0.06 taper, MicroMega) and RaCe system (0.06 taper, FKG, Dentaire), Forty file of each instrument were used within two canals with angle of curvature (40 &60 )at two speed (250&400)RPM, twelve group were formed for all instruments(total number=120),te n file for each group. The testing canals customized within stainless steel block covered with glass face, the time to fracture recorded and the mean of cycles to fracture (MCF) detected for each instrument. Data were analyzed statistically by ANOVA, LSD and Independent T-test at 5% significant level. Result: there was a highly significant difference of curvature angle and significant difference of rotational speed on the fracture resistance of instruments. RaCe revealed the best fracture resistance followed by ProTaper then Revo-S that showed the less resistance. Conclusion: The rotary instruments more prone to fracture when used at more curvature angle and higher rotational speed, as well as the rotary instruments differ from each other according to manufacturing process, taper, cross section and other factors.

Application of non-destructive impedance-based monitoring technique for cyclic fatigue evaluation of endodontic nickel–titanium rotary instruments

This study investigates the application of non-destructive testing based on the impedance theory in the cyclic fatigue evaluation of endodontic Ni–Ti rotary instruments. Fifty Ni–Ti ProTaper instruments were divided into five groups ( n = 10 in Groups A to E). Groups A to D were subjected to cyclic fatigue within an artificial canal (Group E was the control group). The mean value of the total life limit (TLL), defined as the instrument being rotated until fracture occurred was found to be 104 s in Group A. Each rotary instrument in Groups B, C and D were rotated until the tested instruments reached 80% (84 s), 60% (62 s) and 40% (42 s) of the TLL. After fatigue testing, each rotary instrument was mounted onto a custom-developed non-destructive testing device to give the tip of the instrument a progressive sideways bend in four mutually perpendicular directions to measure the corresponding impedance value (including the resistance and the reactance). The results indicated that the impedance value showed the same trend as the resistance, implying that the impedance was primarily affected by the resistance. The impedance value for the instruments in the 80% and 60% TLL groups increased by about 6 mΩ (about 7.5%) more than that of the instruments in the intact and 40% TLL groups. The SEM analysis result showed that crack striations were only found at the tip of the thread on the cracked surface of the instrument, consistent with the impedance measurements that found the impedance value of the cracked surface to be significantly different from those in other surfaces. These findings indicate that the impedance value may represent an effective parameter for evaluating the micro-structural status of Ni–Ti rotary instruments subjected to fatigue loading.

Numerical Study on the Influence of Material Characteristics on Ni-Ti Endodontic Instrument Performance

Ni-Ti rotary endodontic instruments (files) are used in dentistry during the endodontic treatment to shape the root canal of the tooth while removing the pulp when infected. Up to now, the studies for evaluating their performances and drawbacks were mainly limited to experimental tests on product flexural and torsional resistance. This work exploits computational analyses for investigating the effects of materials with different mechanical properties on the behavior of rotary endodontic instruments. The aim is to understand the appropriate material choice to reduce the criticality of the treatment in particular clinical conditions. In particular, the interaction between an accurately modeled rotating file and differently shaped root canals during the clinical procedure was studied performing finite element analyses. Strains induced by the treatment on a file made of a “standard” Ni-Ti alloy (characterized by average properties of the pseudoelastic behavior), a “long” Ni-Ti alloy (characterized by wide transformation region), a “super” Ni-Ti alloy (characterized by an extended Hookian behavior without transformation region), and stainless steel were compared. The results accurately show the advantages of the use of Ni-Ti alloy with respect to stainless steel and the better performance of the “long” alloy in all the tested case.

Surface investigation of NiTi rotary endodontic instruments after magnetoelectropolishing

ABSTRACTThe purpose of the study was to reveal the effects of a new electropolishing process carried out under a constant magnetic field, termed as magnetoelectropolishing (MEP). In this work we investigated Nitinol rotary endodontic instruments by surface and morphology change after MEP. The MEP process greatly affects both surface also mechanical properties like the bending and fatigue resistance.The investigation covered surface interferometry measurements, X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) studies, and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) with EDAX studies referred to two groups of endodontic instruments: ready-to-use or as-received (AR) files, and magnetoelectropolished (MEP) instruments, in comparison with the instruments surface after a conventional electropolishing (EP). The treated surfaces of NiTi endodontic files were studied by interferometric method in view of getting multiple surface characteristics, together with digital data concerning the arithmetic mean height Sa and the maximum height of scale limited surface Sz.The investigation results obtained have indicated a considerable improvement of MEP surface in comparison with both AR and EP surfaces. Such a surface after MEP reveals several positive features, decreased roughness, elimination of metallic state (here Ni and Ti elements) in the surface film, much enriched with titanium oxides and diminished nickel oxides. The study results show that the contents of Ni compounds is higher after EP (18.3%) than after MEP (10.2%), whereas the contents of Ti compounds is higher after MEP (83.4%) than after EP (76.6%). The total Ti/Ni ratio indicates almost double surpass of titanium over nickel in the surface film after MEP in comparison with the total amount of that ratio after EP.The qualitative investigation of fatigue tests have indicated much better performance of NiTi endodontic file samples after MEP than those related to AR and/or after EP. We have proved that the magnetoelectropolishing process may further modify surface. The following studies are to be directed onto performance and specific mechanical properties of the endodontic files at work.

Low-cycle fatigue of rotary NiTi endodontic instruments in hypochlorite solution

Objective To examine the low-cycle fatigue (LCF) behaviour of NiTi rotary endodontic instruments in aqueous sodium hypochlorite solution. Methods Four brands of NiTi rotary instrument ( n = 179) were subjected to a rotational-bending fatigue test at a rate of 250 rpm until fracture, the instrument being immersed in 1.2% sodium hypochlorite solution. The surface strain amplitude, calculated from the curvature (from a pre-test photograph) and diameter of the fracture cross-section (from SEM photomicrograph) was plotted against the total number of revolutions to failure. An apparent fatigue-ductility exponent was determined from a regression line fitted to the LCF lives for each brand of instrument. All detached fragments were examined fractographically for crack initiation and the extent of crack extension into the cross-section. The values were compared using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) or χ 2, where appropriate, at α = 0.05. Results A linear strain-life relationship was obtained for all groups; the apparent fatigue-ductility exponent was similar between various brands (ANOVA, P > 0.05), but not for the number of crack origins ( χ 2, P < 0.05). There was an inverse, linear relationship between the square root of the extension of the fatigue-crack and the strain amplitude. Significance NiTi rotary instruments fatigued in hypochlorite shows a strain-life relationship with low-cycle and high-cycle fatigue regions. The LCF behaviour is not affected by the cross-sectional shape of the instrument. There appears to be a critical extent of crack propagation for various surface strain amplitudes leading to final, catastrophic fracture of the instrument.

A computational study on NiTi rotary endodontic instruments

A computational study on NiTi rotary endodontic instruments

Application of Nondestructive Testing in Cyclic Fatigue Evaluation of Endodontic Ni-Ti Rotary Instruments

The purpose of this study was to investigate the application of nondestructive testing in cyclic fatigue evaluation of endodontic ProFile nickel-titanium (NiTi) rotary instruments. As-received ProFile instruments were made to rotate freely in sloped metal blocks by a contra-angle handpiece mounted on a testing machine. Rotation was interrupted periodically, and the instrument removed and engaged onto a device to monitor its stiffness by using two strain gauges in four different directions. This monitoring method has the potential to be developed into a convenient, nondestructive turnkey system that allows in situ assessment of the integrity of NiTi instruments in the clinic. Upon fracture, which was indicated by a change in instrument stiffness, the fractured surface would be examined under a scanning electron microscope. Microscopic evaluation indicated a small area of fatigue fracture with a large area of final ductile fracture, whereby the latter was the major cyclic failure mode. Based on the results of this study, we concluded that a potential nondestructive integrity assessment method for NiTi rotary instruments was developed.

A comparison of root canal preparations using stainless steel, Ni-Ti hand, and Ni-Ti engine-driven endodontic instruments – an in vitro study

The main advantage of nickel titanium instruments is that they permit canal preparation with less transportation and ledging. Hand used Ni-Ti and rotary Ni-Ti instruments have a wider range of elastic deformation and greater flexibility. The aim of the present study was to evaluate and compare the preparation time, loss of working length, apical transportation, instrument deformation and fracture with stainless steel, Ni-Ti hand and Ni-Ti rotary endodontic instruments. Fifty freshly extracted human mandibular molars with curved roots were collected and stored in 10% formalin. The samples were divided into 3 groups of 15 each. The access opening was made for each tooth and the biomechanical preparation was carried out using crown down pressureless technique in all the groups. Group I was instrumented with stainless steel files, group II with hand Ni-Ti and group III with Ni-Ti rotary files. The preparation time to enlarge each canal was recorded in minutes and seconds, which included only active instrumentation. Following preparation, the final length of each canal was subtracted from the original length to give the loss of working length. SEM photographs of the deformed and fractured instruments were taken. The apical transportation was measured using computer software (Microdraw 4.1). The readings were noted and statistically analyzed.The results of this in vitro study showed that the mean preparation time was less with Ni- Ti rotary (1.85 min) when compared to hand Ni-Ti (6.33) and stainless steel files (6.73), which was statistically significant. The loss of working length was more for stainless steel group which was statistically significant (P&lt;0.05) when compared with the other 2 groups.One instrument in stainless steel and one in Ni-Ti rotary files were fractured. Only one instrument in stainless steel file deformed permanently. Apical transportation was found to be greater in stainless steel group than other groups (P&lt;0.01) which was statistically significant. Considering the parameters in this study, Ni-Ti rotary files proved to perform better than the other two groups. Key words: Canal preparation; crown-down pressure less technique; double exposure radiographic technique. DOI: 10.3329/bjms.v9i4.6689Bangladesh Journal of Medical Science Vol.09 No.4 July 2010 pp.223-230