Buckling resistance of pathfinding endodontic instruments.

Area of Science:

• Endodontics
• Dental Materials Science
• Biomechanical Engineering

Background:

• Endodontic instruments must withstand significant forces during root canal preparation.
• Buckling resistance is a critical property for instrument performance, especially in curved or narrow canals.
• Previous research has not comprehensively compared the buckling resistance of commonly used pathfinding instruments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the buckling resistance of three endodontic pathfinding instruments: C-Pilot file, C+ file, and PathFile.
• To determine if material composition (stainless steel vs. nickel-titanium) influences buckling resistance.
• To correlate buckling resistance with potential clinical performance in negotiating constricted canals.

Main Methods:

• A universal testing machine was used to apply an increasing axial load to each instrument.
• Buckling resistance was quantified by measuring the maximum load required to induce a 1 mm lateral elastic displacement.
• Three types of endodontic pathfinding instruments were tested: C-Pilot, C+, and PathFile.

Main Results:

• The C+ file exhibited the highest buckling resistance, followed by the C-Pilot file, and then the PathFile.
• Buckling resistance order: C+ file > C-Pilot file > PathFile.
• The observed differences in buckling resistance were statistically significant (P < .05).

Conclusions:

• Stainless steel instruments (C+ and C-Pilot) possess greater buckling resistance than the nickel-titanium PathFile instrument.
• The superior buckling resistance of C+ files suggests improved performance in navigating challenging root canal anatomies.
• Buckling resistance is a key factor influencing the efficacy and safety of endodontic instruments during canal negotiation.