Micro-CT assessment of two different endodontic preparation systems

Area of Science:

• Endodontics
• Dental Materials Science
• Biomaterials

Background:

• Root canal preparation is crucial for endodontic treatment success.
• Evaluating the efficiency of different endodontic preparation systems is essential for clinical practice.
• Micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) offers a non-destructive method for analyzing root canal morphology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the dentin removal volume and root canal surface area prepared by the ProTaper Universal and EndoEZE AET systems.
• To assess the effectiveness of these two endodontic preparation systems using micro-CT analysis.

Main Methods:

• Twenty-four mandibular premolars were divided into two groups (n=12 each).
• Group 1 used ProTaper Universal; Group 2 used EndoEZE AET with manual K-files.
• High-resolution micro-CT was used to measure root canal volume and surface area before and after preparation.

Main Results:

• No statistically significant difference was found in the mean volume of dentin removed between the two systems.
• The EndoEZE AET system resulted in a significantly greater mean root canal surface area compared to the ProTaper Universal system (p < 0.05).

Conclusions:

• The EndoEZE AET system is more effective in increasing root canal surface area preparation compared to the ProTaper Universal system.
• Both systems showed comparable dentin removal volumes, suggesting similar control over tooth structure removal.