The effect of different taper preparations on the ability of sonic and passive ultrasonic irrigation to reach the working length in curved canals

• Published in: International endodontic journal 2013-05, Vol.46 (5), p.427-433
• Main Authors: Merino, A., Estevez, R., de Gregorio, C., Cohenca, N.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Contrast Media; curved canals; Dental Pulp Cavity - diagnostic imaging; Dental Pulp Cavity - pathology; Dentistry; Humans; irrigation; Materials Testing; Molar - diagnostic imaging; Molar - pathology; Odontometry - methods; passive ultrasonic irrigation; Radiography; Root Canal Irrigants - administration & dosage; Root Canal Preparation - instrumentation; Root Canal Preparation - methods; Sodium Hypochlorite - administration & dosage; sonic irrigation; Sonication - instrumentation; Sonication - methods; taper; Therapeutic Irrigation - instrumentation; Therapeutic Irrigation - methods; Tooth Apex - diagnostic imaging; Tooth Apex - pathology; Ultrasonics - instrumentation
• ISSN: 0143-2885; 1365-2591
• DOI: 10.1111/iej.12006

Aim To evaluate the penetration of irrigants up to working length using two different activation systems in curved canals instrumented with 0.04 and 0.08 taper instruments. Methodology Sixty‐eight mesiobuccal canals from mandibular first molars with curvatures between 30° and 40° were used. The samples were divided into group 1, canals instrumented to size 30, 0.04 taper, and group 2, instrumented to size 30, 0.08 taper. Both groups were irrigated with a contrast solution and divided in 2 subgroups of 15 samples each: Groups 1A and 2A were activated with passive ultrasonic irrigation (PUI), whilst groups 1B and 2B were activated with sonic irrigation (SI). Radiographs were taken to evaluate the penetration of the contrast solution up to working length. This evaluation was performed using Adobe Photoshop CS5. Results were analysed with the chi‐square test and a logistic regression model. Results Only groups with 0.04 taper demonstrated significant differences where the activation with PUI was superior at reaching working length than SI (P = 0.010). The logistic regression model showed that the only correlation in reaching working length was the activation system used (P = 0.005). Conclusion The results suggest that variation of canal taper does not affect the ability of PUI to reach the working length in curved canals whilst SI obtained inferior results with 0.04 taper canal preparations.