The Effect of Different File Motions on the Formation of Apical Debris During Root Canal Preparation In vitro

After root canal preparation, apical debris may cause discomfort and delayed healing. Rotary, reciprocating, and adaptive file movements affect debris extrusion.

Sixty extracted mandibular premolars with single root canals were randomly divided into three file motion groups (n = 20): Group A (rotary motion using ProTaper Universal files), Group B (reciprocating motion using WaveOne files), and Group C (adaptive motion using TF Adaptive files). Extruded debris was collected in Eppendorf tubes with teeth. Standard watering techniques prepared root canals. Drying and weighing extruded debris with a 0.0001 g analytical balance detected apical debris.

The average weight of extruded debris in Group A (rotary) was 0.120 ± 0.005 g, Group B (reciprocating) was 0.180 ± 0.008 g, and Group C (adaptive motion) was 0.140 ± 0.006 g. One-way ANOVA analysis showed significant differences across groups (P < 0.05). The rotating motion extruded the least apical debris, whereas reciprocating action generated the most.

File movements greatly affect apical debris production during root canal preparation. Apical debris is lowest with rotary motion, followed by adaptive and reciprocating motion.