Exploration of uninstrumented areas and volumetric precision of ProTaper Ultimate versus ProTaper Next file systems: A micro-computed tomography study.

CONTEXT

Root canal shaping is critical in endodontic treatment, aiming to maintain canal anatomy while effectively removing infected tissue.

AIM

The aim of this study was to compare the volumetric changes and uninstrumented areas in root canals prepared with ProTaper Ultimate (PTU) and ProTaper Next (PTN) file systems using micro-computed tomography (CT).

SETTINGS AND DESIGN

This was an comparative study using fifty extracted human mandibular premolars with moderate canal curvature (10°-35°).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Pre- and postinstrumentation micro-CT scans were performed at 13 m resolution. Canal preparation was done with PTU (n = 25) (up to F2) without prior glide path and PTN (n = 25) (up to X2) with hand file glide path. Volume changes and uninstrumented surface areas were analyzed using specialized software.

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED

Unpaired -test for volume changes, Kruskal-Wallis test for inter-comparison of uninstrumented areas, and Mann-Whitney test for intragroup comparison, with significance level set at < 0.05.

RESULTS

PTU demonstrated significantly lower canal volume gain (13.20% ±1.95% vs. 21.12% ±2.7%) and tooth volume loss (0.588% ±0.18% vs. 0.95% ±0.12%) compared to PTN.

CONCLUSIONS

The PTU system demonstrated superior preservation of tooth structure with less canal enlargement while maintaining effective instrumentation of canal surfaces compared to PTN, likely due to its enhanced flexibility, smaller core diameter, and improved metallurgy.