Evaluating In Vitro Performance of a Novel Stainless Steel Rotary System (Gentlefile) Based on Debris Extrusion and...

Area of Science:

• Endodontics
• Dental Materials Science

Background:

• Nickel-titanium (NiTi) files offer mechanical advantages in endodontic procedures.
• The new Gentlefile (GF) stainless steel system claims superiority over traditional NiTi files.
• Comparative studies are essential to validate new endodontic instrument claims.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the efficacy of the Gentlefile (GF) system against the ProTaper Universal (PTU) NiTi system and a manual step-back (MSB) stainless steel technique.
• To evaluate debris extrusion and instrumentation time for each root canal instrumentation method.
• To assess the performance of the GF system in relation to established endodontic techniques.

Main Methods:

• An in vitro study using 66 human mandibular premolars with minimal root curvature.
• Teeth were randomly assigned to three groups (n=22): PTU, GF, or MSB instrumentation.
• Apical debris extrusion was quantified by weighing pre- and post-instrumentation vials; instrumentation time was recorded.

Main Results:

• No statistically significant difference in apical debris extrusion was observed among the PTU, GF, and MSB groups (P > 0.05).
• A significant difference in instrumentation time was found between the groups (P < 0.05).
• MSB technique required significantly longer instrumentation time compared to both PTU and GF systems (P < 0.05).

Conclusions:

• The Gentlefile (GF) system did not demonstrate superior performance in reducing apical debris extrusion or instrumentation time compared to the ProTaper Universal (PTU) system.
• The manual step-back (MSB) technique was associated with the longest instrumentation time.
• Further research may be needed to explore potential benefits or limitations of the GF system in different clinical scenarios.