Currently, there are two different types of alloys mainly used for endodontic instruments, stainless steel and nickel-titanium (Ni-Ti). Endodontic Ni-Ti files were introduced in 1988 and many clinicians have used it to date. They have a lot of advanta...
Currently, there are two different types of alloys mainly used for endodontic instruments, stainless steel and nickel-titanium (Ni-Ti). Endodontic Ni-Ti files were introduced in 1988 and many clinicians have used it to date. They have a lot of advantages: super-elasticity, efficiency, reduced treatment time and procedural error, such as apical transportation during canal preparation. Despite having many advantages, there is a disadvantage; it shows fatigue failure due to the effect of repeated stress in curved canals.
Clinicians use endodontic irrigants to remove infectious sources in inaccessible areas (dentinal tubules, accessory canals, isthmuses). The effect of irrigants to fatigue fracture of endodontic instruments is reported but only few studies have been conducted about risks associated with failure by surface roughness using root canal irrigants. This study evaluated corrosion susceptibility of heat-treated Ni-Ti instruments in commonly used root canal irrigants and probability of fatigue failure.
Two types of Ni-Ti rotary instruments and endodontic irrigants were subjected: ProTaperTM(위첨자) Gold(PTG, Dentsply, Tulsa Dental Specialties, Tulsa, OK, USA), ProTaperⓇ(위첨자) Universal(PTU, Dentsply Maillefer, Ballaigues, Switzerland) and 6% NaOCl, 17% EDTA. Potentiodynamic test(PD), cyclic potentiodynamic polarization test(CPPT) and AC impedance test were conducted to evaluate corrosion behavior using potentiostat (Parstat 2273, Princeton Applied Research, USA). The surface of instruments before and after corrosion was observed using a field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM, S-4800 Hitachi, Japan) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS, E-MAX, Horiba Co., Japan)analysis.
PTG had high corrosion potential and low current density. There is more severe corrosion in NaOCl. In AC impedance test, PTG shows high polarization resistance and low in NaOCl. PTG has less corrosion such as pitting corrosion, and its surface was eroded a lot in NaOCl. PTG shows a smoother surface than PTU and it has less defect on the surface.
The results imply that the fatigue life of Ni-Ti instruments is associated with surface roughness and a higher fatigue resistance of PTG than PTU. The result that much corrosion exist in NaOCl than EDTA which implies that fatigue life will decrease in NaOCl.