Effect of Cryotherapy on Fracture Resistance of Neoniti Rotary Instruments

Objectives: Nickel-titanium (NiTi) rotary files were introduced to optimize root canal instrumentation in endodontic treatment. However, despite the numerous advantages of NiTi instruments, they may unexpectedly break during clinical use, resulting in obstruction of the root canal system. This investigation aimed to assess the effect of cryotherapy on fracture resistance of Neoniti rotary files. Materials and Methods: This in vitro, study was conducted on 20 Neoniti rotary files with #35 tip size and 6% taper in two groups with and without cryogenic treatment (N=10). For cryogenic treatment, the files were immersed in liquid nitrogen at -196°C for 24 hours. Next, the Neoniti files in both groups were subjected to cyclic fatigue testing in a hand-piece operating at 500 rpm with 20 N/cm torque. The files were rotated until fracture and the fracture time as well as the number of cycles to fracture were recorded for each file. The two groups were compared by independent t-test at 0.05 level of significance. Results: The number of cycles to fracture was 235700±50649.22 in the control and 280600±22979.21 in the cryotherapy group. The mean fracture time was 471.40±101.29 and 561.20±45.958 seconds in the control and cryotherapy groups, respectively. Significant differences in both variables were noted between the two groups (P<0.05). Conclusion: Based on our findings, utilizing cryogenic treatment may enhance the fracture resistance of rotary instruments, making it a beneficial practice for dental clinicians to adopt. By using cryogenically treated rotary instruments, clinicians can potentially reduce the risk of file fracture during dental procedures.