Aim
To evaluate the effect of instrumentation using Reciproc Blue (RB; VDW, Munich, Germany) and XP‐endo Shaper (XP‐S; FKG Dentaire, La Chaux‐deFonds, Switzerland) systems on the area of untouched canal wall (AUCW), accumulated hard‐tissue debris (AHTD) and the efficacy of three irrigation protocols on percentage reductions (red%) of AHTD within C‐shaped canals of mandibular molars.
Methodology
Seventy mandibular molars with C‐shaped canals were scanned, matched and assigned to two shaping groups (n = 35): RB and XP‐S. Following instrumentation, specimens were triple‐matched with respect to the amount of remaining debris and assigned to three irrigation subgroups (n = 10): syringe‐and‐needle irrigation (SNI), XP‐endo Finisher (XP‐F; FKG Dentaire) and passive ultrasonic irrigation (PUI). The AUCW% and AHTD% after instrumentation and the red% of AHTD after irrigation were calculated from micro‐computed tomography. Data were analysed using comparisons for two groups (RB vs. XP‐S) or multiple subgroups followed by pairwise comparison procedures (SNI vs. XP‐F vs. PUI) at α = 0.05.
Results
For RB and XP‐S, 33.04% and 30.45%, respectively, of the canal wall remained untouched (P > 0.05). For both groups, the apical third had larger AUCW% than the coronal third (P < 0.05). Instrumentation with RB left more debris (2.8%) than XP‐S (1.1%) (P < 0.05). The PUI and XP‐F subgroups had higher mean red% of AHTD than the SNI subgroup; the difference was significant for RB (P < 0.05) but not for XP‐S.
Conclusions
Both RB and XP‐S systems were associated with similar AUCW after instrumenting C‐shaped canals. RB left significantly greater levels of AHTD compared with XP‐S. PUI and XP‐F irrigation removed more debris than SNI when using the RB system.