Glide path preparation in S-shaped canals with rotary pathfinding nickel-titanium instruments

Area of Science:

• Endodontics
• Dental Materials Science

Background:

• Glide path preparation is crucial for successful root canal treatment.
• S-shaped (double-curved) canals present challenges in maintaining original anatomy during instrumentation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the incidence of canal deviation after glide path preparation using two nickel-titanium (NiTi) rotary pathfinding instruments versus hand K-files.
• To evaluate the efficacy of rotary NiTi instruments in preserving the natural root canal anatomy.

Main Methods:

• Sixty S-shaped canal training blocks were used, with pre- and post-instrumentation images captured via stereomicroscope.
• Glide path preparation was performed using hand stainless steel K-files, rotary NiTi PathFile instruments, or rotary NiTi Scout RaCe instruments.
• Deviation was quantified by superimposing pre- and post-instrumentation images and measuring differences along the canal's mesial and distal aspects.

Main Results:

• All tested instruments caused some degree of canal deviation.
• Rotary NiTi instruments resulted in significantly less deviation compared to hand K-files across most levels.
• Scout RaCe instruments showed significantly better performance in minimizing deviation than PathFile instruments at multiple levels.

Conclusions:

• Rotary NiTi instruments are recommended for glide path preparation due to their ability to minimize deviation from original canal anatomy.
• The Scout RaCe rotary NiTi system demonstrated superior effectiveness in preserving canal morphology compared to the PathFile system.