Molar root canal treatment performed by undergraduate dental students; an observational study of procedural errors and student perception.

BACKGROUND: Molar root canal treatment (RCT) is challenging and requires training and specific skills. Rotary instrumentation (RI) reduces the time needed for instrumentation but may increase the risk of certain procedural errors. The aims of this study were to evaluate the quality of molar RCTs provided by undergraduate students, to compare the prevalence of procedural errors following manual and RI, and to assess the students' self-perceived confidence to perform molar RCT without supervision and their preference for either manual or RI. METHODS: Molar RCTs performed by the final year students were evaluated radiographically according to predefined criteria (Appendix 1). The procedural errors, treatment details, and the students' self-perceived confidence to perform molar RCT and their preference for either manual or RI were recorded. Descriptive statistics were performed, and the Chi-squared test was used to detect any statistically significant differences. RESULTS: 60.4% of RCTs were insufficient. RI resulted in more sufficient treatments compared with MI (49% vs. 30.3% respectively. X2: 7.39, p = 0.007), required fewer visits to complete (2.9 vs. 4.6 respectively. X2: 67.23, p < 0.001) and was the preferred technique by 93.1% of students. The most common procedural errors were underextension of the root canal obturation (48.4%), insufficient obturation (45.5%), and improper coronal seal (35.2%) without a significant difference between the two techniques. 26.4% of the participating students reported that they did not feel confident to perform molar RCT without supervision. CONCLUSION: The quality of molar RCT provided by UG students was generally insufficient. RI partially improved the technical quality of RCT compared with MI. UG students need further endodontic training and experience before they can safely and confidently practise molar RCT.

Treatment Outcome and Root Canal Preparation Techniques: 5-Year Follow-Up.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims at comparing treatment outcome and tooth survival of root canal-filled teeth following manual vs rotary instrumentation techniques over a 5-year period. METHODS: This was a single-centre study conducted as a follow-up to a short-term parallel-arm randomised controlled noninferiority trial in which root canal treatment was performed on teeth using either rotary or manual instrumentation. Patients were monitored at post 6-month, 1-year, 4-year, and 5-year review periods by blinded evaluators. Treatment outcome was categorised as favourable, uncertain, and unfavourable (employing European Society of Endodontology categorisation based on strict clinical and radiographic criteria), and 5-year tooth survival was determined by assessing whether tooth was in situ in the oral cavity or extracted. The Kaplan-Meier method and log rank test evaluated tooth survival. P value <.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Ninety of 120 treated teeth were assessed in 37 men and 40 women with mean age of 30.6 ± 10.99 years. Treatment outcome was significantly more favourable in the rotary group compared to the manual group at post 6-month (P = .021) and 1-year (P = .043) review periods. The differences in favourable outcome (P = .498) and tooth survival (P = .296) between the 2 groups were, however, not significant at the 5-year review period. CONCLUSIONS: The rotary instrumentation technique was shown to be more effective in resolving clinical symptoms and promoting periapical healing after the post 6-month and 1-year review compared to the manual instrumentation technique; however, both groups had similar favourable outcomes and survival rates after an extended 5-year review period.

For pulp treatment in primary teeth, rotary canal instrumentation may be modestly time efficient, but otherwise similar to manual canal instrumentation.

ARTICLE TITLE AND BIBLIOGRAPHIC INFORMATION: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials comparing rotary canal instrumentation techniques with manual instrumentation techniques in primary teeth. Manchanda S, Sardana D, Yiu CKY. Int Endod J. 2020;53(3):333-353. SOURCE OF FUNDING: Information not available. TYPE OF STUDY/DESIGN: Systematic review with meta-analysis of data.

Instrumentación rotatoria comparado con instrumentación manual para tratamiento endodóntico en dientes permanentes / Rotary instrumentation compared to manual instrumentation for endodontic treatment in permanent teeth

RESUMEN: Introducción: El éxito del tratamiento endodóntico requiere de la desinfección completa del sistema de canales radiculares. Convencionalmente este procedimiento se realiza a través de maniobras de instrumentación rotatoria o manual e irrigación química. Dentro de las diferentes técnicas de instrumentación, la de tipo rotatoria ha surgido como una alternativa a la instrumentación manual, cuyos beneficios en comparación a ésta aún deben ser dilucidados. Métodos: Realizamos una búsqueda en Epistemonikos, la mayor base de datos de revisiones sistemáticas en salud, la cual es mantenida mediante el cribado de múltiples fuentes de información, incluyendo MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane, entre otras. Extrajimos los datos desde las revisiones identificadas, analizamos los datos de los estudios primarios, realizamos un metanálisis y preparamos una tabla de resumen de los resultados utilizando el método GRADE. Resultados y conclusiones: Identificamos cinco revisiones sistemáticas que en conjunto incluyeron 15 estudios primarios, de los cuales, 10 corresponden a ensayos aleatorizados. Concluimos que el uso de instrumentación rotatoria en comparación a instrumentación manual probablemente disminuye la incidencia del dolor postoperatorio. Además, la instrumentación rotatoria podría disminuir el uso de analgésicos post tratamiento endodóntico. Sin embargo, podría resultar en poca o nula diferencia en la intensidad del dolor, pero la certeza de la evidencia es baja. Además, no es posible establecer con claridad si el uso de instrumentación rotatoria en comparación a la instrumentación manual aumenta la reparación apical debido a que la certeza de la evidencia existente ha sido evaluada como muy baja.

ABSTRACT: Introduction: Successful root canal therapy (endodontic treatment) requires complete disinfection of the root canal system. Traditionally, disinfection of the root canal system involves rotary or manual instrumentation and chemical irrigation. Various rotary instrumentation techniques have emerged as an alternative to manual instrumentation, but its benefits against manual techniques need to be clarified. Methods: We searched in Epistemonikos, the largest database of systematic reviews in health, which is maintained by screening multiple information sources, including MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane, among others. We extracted data from the systematic reviews, reanalyzed data of primary studies, conducted a meta-analysis and generated a summary of findings table using the GRADE approach. Results and conclusions: We identified five systematic reviews that together included 15 primary studies, of which 10 correspond to randomized trials. We conclude that the use of rotary instrumentation compared to manual instrumentation probably reduces the incidence of pain. Also, rotatory instrumentation may reduce the use of postoperative analgesics. However, it could result in little or no difference in pain intensity, but the certainty of the evidence is low. Furthermore, it is not possible to clearly establish whether the use of rotary instrumentation increases apical repair as the certainty of the evidence has been assessed as very low.

Osseodensification drilling vs conventional manual instrumentation technique for posterior lumbar fixation: Ex-vivo mechanical and histomorphological analysis in an ovine model.

Lumbar fusion is a procedure associated with several indications, but screw failure remains a major complication, with an incidence ranging 10% to 50%. Several solutions have been proposed, ranging from more efficient screw geometry to enhance bone quality, conversely, drilling instrumentation have not been thoroughly explored. The conventional instrumentation (regular [R]) techniques render the bony spicules excavated impractical, while additive techniques (osseodensification [OD]) compact them against the osteotomy walls and predispose them as nucleating surfaces/sites for new bone. This work presents a case-controlled split model for in vivo/ex vivo comparison of R vs OD osteotomy instrumentation in posterior lumbar fixation in an ovine model to determine feasibility and potential advantages of the OD drilling technique in terms of mechanical and histomorphology outcomes. Eight pedicle screws measuring 4.5 mm × 45 mm were installed in each lumbar spine of eight adult sheep (four per side). The left side underwent R instrumentation, while the right underwent OD drilling. The animals were killed at 6- and 12-week and the vertebrae removed. Pullout strength and non-decalcified histologic analysis were performed. Significant mechanical stability differences were observed between OD and R groups at 6- (387 N vs 292 N) and 12-week (312 N vs 212 N) time points. Morphometric analysis did not detect significant differences in bone area fraction occupancy between R and OD groups, while it is to note that OD showed increased presence of bone spiculae. Mechanical pullout testing demonstrated that OD drilling provided higher degrees of implant anchoring as a function of time, whereas a significant reduction was observed for the R group.

Comparison of apical extrusion of intracanal bacteria by various glide-path establishing systems: an in vitro study.

OBJECTIVES: This study compared the amount of apically extruded bacteria during the glide-path preparation by using multi-file and single-file glide-path establishing nickel-titanium (NiTi) rotary systems. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty mandibular first molar teeth were used to prepare the test apparatus. They were decoronated, blocked into glass vials, sterilized in ethylene oxide gas, infected with a pure culture of Enterococcus faecalis, randomly assigned to 5 experimental groups, and then prepared using manual stainless-steel files (group KF) and glide-path establishing NiTi rotary files (group PF with PathFiles, group GF with G-Files, group PG with ProGlider, and group OG with One G). At the end of canal preparation, 0.01 mL NaCl solution was taken from the experimental vials. The suspension was plated on brain heart infusion agar and colonies of bacteria were counted, and the results were given as number of colony-forming units (CFU). RESULTS: The manual instrumentation technique tested in group KF extruded the highest number of bacteria compared to the other 4 groups (p < 0.05). The 4 groups using rotary glide-path establishing instruments extruded similar amounts of bacteria. CONCLUSIONS: All glide-path establishment instrument systems tested caused a measurable apical extrusion of bacteria. The manual glide-path preparation showed the highest number of bacteria extruded compared to the other NiTi glide-path establishing instruments.

Postoperative alignment of TKA in patients with severe preoperative varus or valgus deformity: is there a difference between surgical techniques?

BACKGROUND: There have been conflicting studies published regarding the ability of various total knee arthroplasty (TKA) techniques to correct preoperative deformity. The purpose of this study was to compare the postoperative radiographic alignment in patients with severe preoperative coronal deformity (≥10° varus/valgus) who underwent three different TKA techniques; manual instrumentation (MAN), computer navigated instrumentation (NAV) and patient specific instrumentation (PSI). METHODS: Patients, who received a TKA with a preoperative coronal deformity of ≥10° with available radiographs were included in this retrospective study. The groups were: MAN; n = 54, NAV; n = 52 and PSI; n = 53. The mechanical axis (varus / valgus) and the posterior tibial slope were measured and analysed using standing long leg- and lateral radiographs. RESULTS: The overall mean postoperative varus / valgus deformity was 2.8° (range, 0 to 9.9; SD 2.3) and 2.5° (range, 0 to 14.7; SD 2.3), respectively. The overall outliers (>3°) represented 30.2% (48 /159) of cases and were distributed as followed: MAN group: 31.5%, NAV group: 34.6%, PSI group: 24.4%. No significant statistical differences were found between these groups. The distribution of the severe outliers (>5°) was 14.8% in the MAN group, 23% in the NAV group and 5.6% in the PSI group. The PSI group had significantly (p = 0.0108) fewer severe outliers compared to the NAV group while all other pairs were not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: In severe varus / valgus deformity the three surgical techniques demonstrated similar postoperative radiographic alignment. However, in reducing severe outliers (> 5°) and in achieving the planned posterior tibial slope the PSI technique for TKA may be superior to computer navigation and the conventional technique. Further prospective studies are needed to determine which technique is the best regarding reducing outliers in patients with severe preoperative coronal deformity.

Efficiency and apical extrusion of debris: a comparative ex vivo study of four retreatment techniques in severely curved root canals.

AIM: To compare the amount of apically extruded debris and of remaining filling material during the removal of root canal filling material using three rotary NiTi retreatment instruments or Hedström files. METHODOLOGY: Ninety-six severely curved human molars of both jaws were selected. The root canals were prepared to size X2 (tip size 25, .06 taper) using the ProTaper Next system (Dentsply Sirona, Ballaigues, Switzerland), filled with gutta-percha and AH Plus sealer (Dentsply De Trey, Konstanz, Germany) and then randomly divided into four experimental groups (n = 24 each) with two subgroups of maxillary and mandibular teeth each. An experimental model was used as a phantom head to simulate the upper and lower jaws. The root filling materials were removed with one of the following files using a crown-down preparation technique: I. Hedström files (H-files) (VDW, Munich, Germany), II. R-Endo (Micro-Mega, Besançon, France), III. Reciproc (VDW) and IV. ProTaper Universal Retreatment system (PTU-R) (Dentsply Maillefer). Apically extruded material was collected in vials, which were weighed with a microbalance (10-5  g) before and after the retreatment. The area of residual filling material in the coronal, middle and apical root level was assessed using digital analysis. These data were analysed statistically using ANOVA and the Kruskal-Wallis test. RESULTS: Reciproc was associated with significantly less extruded debris than the H-files (P = 0.009). No significant differences were detected amongst the four retreatment techniques concerning residual filling material (P = 0.082). The amount of extruded debris and areas of remaining filling material were not correlated (P = 0.901). Location of teeth in the maxilla or mandible had no impact on the amount of extruded debris within each instrument group (P = 0.609). However, when teeth were evaluated in general irrespective of the instruments, significantly more debris was extruded in the mandibular location (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: All retreatment systems were associated with apical extrusion of debris, but H-files extruded significantly more material than Reciproc. Remnants of filling material were observed in all samples with no significant differences between the four techniques.

Comparison of apical extrusion of intracanal bacteria by various glide-path establishing systems: an in vitro study

OBJECTIVES: This study compared the amount of apically extruded bacteria during the glide-path preparation by using multi-file and single-file glide-path establishing nickel-titanium (NiTi) rotary systems. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty mandibular first molar teeth were used to prepare the test apparatus. They were decoronated, blocked into glass vials, sterilized in ethylene oxide gas, infected with a pure culture of Enterococcus faecalis, randomly assigned to 5 experimental groups, and then prepared using manual stainless-steel files (group KF) and glide-path establishing NiTi rotary files (group PF with PathFiles, group GF with G-Files, group PG with ProGlider, and group OG with One G). At the end of canal preparation, 0.01 mL NaCl solution was taken from the experimental vials. The suspension was plated on brain heart infusion agar and colonies of bacteria were counted, and the results were given as number of colony-forming units (CFU). RESULTS: The manual instrumentation technique tested in group KF extruded the highest number of bacteria compared to the other 4 groups (p < 0.05). The 4 groups using rotary glide-path establishing instruments extruded similar amounts of bacteria. CONCLUSIONS: All glide-path establishment instrument systems tested caused a measurable apical extrusion of bacteria. The manual glide-path preparation showed the highest number of bacteria extruded compared to the other NiTi glide-path establishing instruments.

Comparison of Manual and Rotary Instrumentation on Postoperative Pain in Teeth with Asymptomatic Irreversible Pulpitis: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

INTRODUCTION: One of the most common complications of root canal treatment is postoperative pain. The aim of the present clinical trial was to compare the severity of postoperative pain after root canal preparation with RaCe rotary system and hand K-Flexofile. METHODS AND MATERIALS: A total of 96 mandibular first and second molars were divided into two groups (n=48) based on root canal preparation technique. The teeth in both groups underwent one-session root canal treatment and the severity of postoperative pain was evaluated using visual analog scale (VAS) at 4-, 8-, 12-, 24- and 48-h and 1-week intervals. In addition, the type and dosage of analgesics were recorded. Data were analyzed with repeated-measures ANOVA. Statistical significance was set at 0.05. RESULTS: The difference between the two groups during this period and at subsequent intervals were not significant (P>0.05). There were no significant differences between the two groups in type and the number of analgesics in pain-free subjects (P=0.12 and P=0.61, respectively). CONCLUSION: There were no statistically significant differences in pain severity between the two groups at any intervals.

In Vitro Comparison of Apically Extruded Debris during Root Canal Preparation of Mandibular Premolars with Manual and Rotary Instruments.

Background and aims. During root canal preparation, debris extruded beyond the apical foramen may result in periapical inflammation and postoperative pain. To date no root canal preparation method has been developed that extrudes no periapical debris. The purpose of this study was to identify a system leading to minimal extrusion of debris from the apical foramen. The study was conducted to comparatively evaluate the amount of apical extrusion of debris during root canal preparation using hand ProTaper and GT rotary and RaCe rotary instruments using crown-down technique. Materials and methods. Ninety freshly extracted human single-rooted mandibular premolars were equally assigned to three groups (n=30). The root canals were instrumented using hand ProTaper, GT rotary and RaCe rotary systems. Debris and irrigant extruded from the apical foramen were collected into vials. The mean weight of the remaining debris was calculated for each group and subjected to statistical analysis. Results. ANOVA was used to compare the mean dry weights of the debris extruded in the three groups, followedby post hoc Tukey tests for multiple comparisons the between groups. Highly significant differences were found in the amount of debris extruded among all the groups (P<0.001). The ProTaper group exhibited the highest mean debris weight (0.8293±0.05433 mg) and the RaCe system exhibited the lowest mean debris weight (0.1280±0.01606 mg). Conclusion. All the systems tested resulted in apical extrusion of debris. However, the hand ProTaper files extruded a significantly higher amount of debris than GT and RaCe systems.

Manual and Rotary Instrumentation Ability to Reduce Enterococcus faecalis Associated with Photodynamic Therapy in Deciduous Molars

This aim of this study was to assess the ability of manual or rotary instrumentation associated with photodynamic therapy (PDT) to reduce Enterococcus faecalis using three combinations of light/photosensitizers: toluidine blue O/laser, fuchsin/halogen light and fuchsin/LED. Twenty deciduous molars were selected and contaminated with Enterococcus faecalis (McFarland 0.5 scale). Working length determination was performed by visual method. The teeth were randomly divided into two groups: G1 (n=10): manual instrumentation (Kerr-type files) and G2 (n=10): rotary instrumentation (ProTaper system). The bacteria were collected three times using sterile paper cones compatible with the anatomic diameter of the root canal for 30 s before and after instrumentation and after PDT. The samples were diluted in peptone water, seeded on blood agar plates and incubated in an oven at 37 °C for colony-forming units counting. The decrease of E. faecalis counts after instrumentation and after PDT was compared using the Wilcoxon test, t-test and Kruskal Wallis test. A significant reduction of E. faecalis occurred after manual and rotary instrumentation and after PDT using the three combinations of light/photosensitizer (p<0.05). It may be concluded that both rotary and manual instrumentation reduced E. faecalis. Fuchsin with halogen light or LED irradiation and toluidine blue O with laser irradiation can be used to reduce E. faecalis in root canals of primary molars. PDT can be used as an adjuvant to conventional endodontic treatment.

O objetivo do presente estudo foi avaliar a redução de Enterococcus faecalis após instrumentação manual ou rotatória associada à terapia fotodinâmica (PDT) utilizando 3 combinações luz/fotossensibilizante: azul de toluidina O/laser, fucsina/luz halógena e fucsina/LED. Foram selecionados 20 molares decíduos que foram contaminados com Enterococcus faecalis (escala 0,5 de McFarland). A odontometria foi feita através do método visual. Os dentes foram divididos aleatoriamente em dois grupos: G1 (n=10): instrumentação manual (limas tipo Kerr) e G2 (n=10): instrumentação rotatória (sistema ProTaper). Foram realizadas coletas com cone de papel estéril compatível com o diâmetro anatômico do canal durante 30 s antes e após a instrumentação e a PDT. As amostras foram diluídas em água peptonada, semeadas em placas de agar-sangue e incubadas em estufa a 37 °C para contagem das unidades formadoras de colônias. As comparações antes da redução de E. faecalis após a instrumentação e após a realização da PDT foram realizadas pelo teste de Wilcoxon, teste t e Kruskal Wallis. Houve redução significante de E. faecalis após a instrumentação manual ou rotatória e após realização da PDT com as três combinações de luz/fotossensibilizante (p<0,05). Pode-se concluir que a instrumentação rotatória e manual acarretou a redução de E. faecalis. A fucsina irradiada com luz halógena ou led e o azul de toluidina irradiado com laser podem ser utilizados para redução de E. faecalis do sistema de canais radiculares de molares decíduos. A terapia fotodinâmica pode ser utilizada como coadjuvante ao tratamento endodôntico convencional.

Influence of Apical Patency and Cleaning of the Apical Foramen on Periapical Extrusion in Retreatment

This study evaluated the influence of apical patency, root filling removal technique and cleaning of the apical foramen, concerning the amount of debris extruded during root canal retreatment. Forty mandibular incisors were randomly assigned to 4 groups - GIM (n=10), GIIM (n=10), GIPT (n=10) and GIIPT (n=10), which were named according to leaving (I) or not (II) apical patency during canal preparation and filling removal technique (manual - M or ProTaper system - PT). After filling material removal, each specimen of each group had the apical foramen cleaned by sizes 15, 20 and 25 instruments, generating 12 subgroups: GIM15, GIM20, GIM25, GIIM15, GIIM20, GIIM25, GIPT15, GIPT20, GIPT25, GIIPT15, GIIPT20 and GIIPT25. Extruded filling debris was collected by a Milipore filtration system, an HV-durapore, 0.45 µm pore filter with a 25 mm diameter. The filters were weighed before and after the collection on an analytical scale (10–5 g), and the difference was calculated. The mean weight of extruded filling debris was analyzed statistically by Kruskal-Wallis and Friedman ANOVA tests (α=0.05). The mean values found in the groups (in mg) were: GIM (0.95±0.94), GIIM (0.47±0.62), GIPT (0.30±0.31) and GIIPT (0.32±0.44). There was no statistically significant difference among any of the groups or subgroups (p>0.05). ProTaper provided the smallest amount of extruded filling material, regardless of presence or absence of apical patency, followed by manual technique, without and with apical patency. Additional amounts of debris were collected during cleaning of the apical foramen, regardless of the instrument, presence/absence of patency or root filling removal technique.

Este estudo verificou a influência da patência apical, técnica de desobturação e limpeza foraminal na quantidade de material sólido extruído, durante retratamento endodôntico. Quarenta incisivos inferiores foram divididos aleatoriamente em quatro grupos - GIM (n=10), GIIM (n=10), GIPT (n=10) e GIIPT (n=10) - nomeados de acordo com a realização (I) ou não (II) de patência apical durante o preparo de canais e a técnica de desobturação - manual (M) ou sistema ProTaper (PT). Após a desobturação, realizou-se a limpeza foraminal em cada espécime de todos os grupos com instrumentos #15, #20 e #25, gerando 12 subgrupos: GIM15, GIM20, GIM25, GIIM15, GIIM20, GIIM25, GIPT15, GIPT20, GIPT25, GIIPT15, GIIPT20 e GIIPT25. O material sólido extruído foi coletado pelo sistema de filtração Millipore®, com filtros de 0,45 µm de poro e 25 mm de diâmetro. Os filtros foram pesados antes e após a coleta, em balança analítica de precisão (10–5g), e as diferenças foram calculadas. Os valores médios encontrados (em mg) foram: GIM (0,95±0,94), GIIM (0,47±0,62), GIPT (0,30±0,31) e GIIPT (0,32±0,44), sem diferença estatística entre quaisquer dos grupos ou subgrupos (p>0,05). O sistema Protaper proporcionou a menor quantidade de material sólido extruído, independente da presença ou não de patência apical seguidos da técnica manual sem e com patência apical. Quantidades adicionais foram coletadas durante a limpeza foraminal, independente do instrumento utilizado, da presença ou não da patência apical ou da técnica de desobturação.

Cleaning capacity promoted by motor-driven or manual instrumentation using ProTaper Universal system: Histological analysis.

AIM: The aim of this study was to assess the cleaning capacity of the Protaper system using motor-driven or manual instrumentation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ten mandibular molars were randomly separated into 2 groups (n = 5) according to the type of instrumentation performed, as follows: Group 1 - instrumentation with rotary nickel-titanium (Ni-Ti) files using ProTaper Universal System (Dentsply/Maillefer); and, Group 2 - instrumentation with Ni-Ti hand files using ProTaper Universal (Dentsply-Maillefer). Afterwards, the teeth were sectioned transversely and submitted to histotechnical processing to obtain histological sections for microscopic evaluation. The images were analyzed by the Corel Photo-Paint X5 program (Corel Corporation) using an integration grid superimposed on the image. RESULTS: Statistical analysis (U-Mann-Whitney - P < 0.05) demonstrated that G1 presented higher cleaning capacity when compared to G2. CONCLUSIONS: The rotary technique presented better cleaning results in the apical third of the root canal system when compared to the manual technique.

Apical extrusion of debris by manual and mechanical instrumentation

The aim of the present study was to assess the presence of apically extruded debris and evaluate the influence of canal curvature on the amount of debris produced by manual and mechanical techniques. Forty single-rooted mature teeth with 15 to 30 degree of root canal curvature were selected. The presence of only one foramen was confirmed using a magnifying lens. A size 15 K-file was placed up to the apical foramen to determine the patency. Working length was determined with the same instrument, 1 mm short of the foramen. According to the employed technique, the groups were labeled as follows: Group 1 - Manual instrumentation with Mor-flex files; Group 2 - Mechanical instrumentation with Cursor and Mor-flex files; Group 3 - Manual instrumentation with Flexi-cut files; Group 4 - Mechanical instrumentation with Cursor and Flexi-cut files. During instrumentation, the root canals were irrigated with 20 mL. Debris extruded through the apical foramen was collected using the Myers and Montgomery technique. The values (in mg) were: Group 1: 0.422 ± 0.683; Group 2: 0.688 ± 0.795; Group 3: 0.409 ± 0.323; Group 4: 0.810 ± 0.708. Data were analyzed statistically by ANOVA at 5 percent significance level. There was no statistically significant difference among the groups (p<0.05). No statistically significant differences were found between slight and moderate curvatures in terms of the amount of extruded debris (p>0.05).

O objetivo deste trabalho foi registrar a presença de material extruído apicalmente e estudar a influência da curvatura dos canais radiculares na quantidade de material, após a instrumentação manual e mecânica. Foram selecionados 40 dentes uniradiculares com ápice maduro, com curvatura do canal entre 15 e 30 graus e somente um forame apical. Verificou-se a patência do forame usando uma lima tipo-K no. 15 e se determinou a extensão de trabalho a 1 mm do forame. Considerando a técnica empregada, se formaram os seguintes grupos: Grupo 1 - instrumentação manual com limas Mor-flex; Grupo 2 - instrumentação mecânica com Cursor e limas Mor-flex; Grupo 3 - instrumentação manual com limas Flexi-cut e Grupo 4 - instrumentação mecânica com Cursor e limas Flexi-cut. Cada canal foi irrigado, enquanto era preparado, com 20 mL de água destilada. Para a coleta do material se aplicou a técnica proposta por Myers e Montgomery. Os valores, em miligramas obtidos em cada grupo foram: Grupo 1 - 0,422 ± 0,683; Grupo 2 - 0,688 ± 0,795; Grupo 3 - 0,409 ± 0,323 e Grupo 4 - 0,810 ± 0,708. A análise estatística (ANOVA) não detectou diferenças estatisticamente significantes (p> 0,05) nas quantidades médias de material extruído em cada grupo. Comparando a influência da curvatura dos canais, não se encontrou diferenças estatisticamente significantes nas quantidades médias de material extruído segundo as curvaturas foram leves ou moderadas (test t para variâncias desiguais p>0,05).