Surface profile of different heat-treated nickel-titanium files before and after root canal preparation

The aim of this study was to evaluate surface wear, presence of microcracks and surface irregularities of WaveOne (WO) and WaveOne Gold (WOG) instruments before and after multiple uses. Eight Primary instruments of the WO and WOG systems were evaluated, each one was used to prepare six mesial canals of extracted human mandibular molars. The surface of the instruments was evaluated before use (T0), after instrumentation of three (T1) and six (T2) root canals. Surface wear was analyzed using a three-dimensional optical profiler and the presence of microcracks and surface irregularities were evaluated using a tabletop scanning electron microscopy. The Friedman test was used to assess surface wear and Kruskal-Wallis test to evaluate the presence of microcracks and surface irregularities, with a 5% significance level. There was a significant increase in wear in both groups at T2, compared to T0 (p=0.0003). The surface wear after instrumentation of six canals (T2-T0) was statistically greater in the WOG group, than in the WO group (p=0.02), where the presence of microcracks was significantly greater and increased after multiple uses (p<0.05). The presence of surface irregularities in the cutting blade before and after use was statistically greater in the WOG group than WO group (p<0.05). Wear of the cutting blade, microcracks and surface irregularities were observed on the surface topography of all the instruments after multiple uses. These surface changes may affect the cutting efficiency of WOG files and increase the risk of fracture of WO files.