Comparing the Coronal Flaring Efficacy of Five Different Instruments Using Cone-Beam Computed Tomography

Area of Science:

• Endodontics
• Dental Materials Science
• Restorative Dentistry

Background:

• Excessive tooth structure removal during root canal preparation compromises treatment prognosis.
• Adequate coronal pre-enlargement is crucial for accurate apical size determination.
• This study evaluates dentin removal efficacy of various instruments during coronal flaring.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the dentin removal efficacy of Gates-Glidden drills, K3, ProTaper, FlexMaster, and RaCe instruments.
• To assess dentin removal during coronal flaring in root canals.
• To utilize cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) for quantitative analysis.

Main Methods:

• Forty mandibular molars were used, with coronal root canals prepared using specified instruments.
• Pre- and post-instrumentation CBCT scans measured canal wall thickness at 1.5mm and 3mm from the furcation.
• Statistical analysis included one-way ANOVA and Tukey's post hoc tests.

Main Results:

• No significant difference in dentin removal was observed at 1.5mm from the furcation among the tested instruments.
• At 3mm from the furcation, Gates-Glidden drills removed significantly more dentin than FlexMaster files (p<0.02).
• No other significant differences were found in pairwise comparisons between instruments at 3mm.

Conclusions:

• All evaluated instruments demonstrate clinical effectiveness for coronal pre-enlargement procedures.
• The choice of instrument may influence dentin removal at specific depths.
• Further research could explore long-term effects and specific clinical scenarios.