Effectiveness of a brush in removing postinstrumentation canal debris

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a brush in removing debris in the root canal after endodontic instrumentation. Seventeen extracted human maxillary first molars with mesiobuccal canal curvatures of 25 to 35 degrees were divided into two groups. After endodontic access and determination of working length, one group was hand instrumented to a #45 file and the other group to a #35 file at the working length. After the teeth were sectioned at the working length and at 2, 4, and 6 mm from the working length, they were evaluated for debris remaining in the canal space. The specimens were reassembled, brushed with an Endobrush, and reevaluated. The scores for instrumentation alone (controls) and instrumentation plus brushing were compared with paired t tests. Instrumentation with brushing was significantly better than instrumentation alone in debriding the root canal.