Glide path enlargement of mandibular molar canals by using K-files, the ProGlider file, and G-files : a comparative study of the preparation times

Abstract

INTRODUCTION : The preparation of a glide path prior to the introduction of rotary nickeltitanium instruments is a standard adjunct to ensure more safety during root canal preparation. The aim of this study was to compare the mean preparation time of manual instrumentation with K-Files (Dentsply/Maillefer, Ballaigues, Switzerland), G-Files (Micro-Mega, Besançon Cedex, France), and ProGlider (Dentsply/Maillefer) to prepare a glide path in curved root canals. METHODS : The mesial canals of 90 mandibular molars (with curvatures angles between 25° and 35°) were selected. The specimens were randomly divided into 3 groups with 30 canals each, and canal preparations were performed by an endodontist using #10-15-20 stainless steel manual K-files (group KF), #10 stainless steel manual K-file followed by #12-17 G-File instruments (group GF), and #10 stainless steel manual K-file followed by #16 ProGlider instrument (group PG). The total time it took to prepare the glide paths was recorded with an electronic stopwatch. New instruments were used for each canal. RESULTS : Glide path enlargement with the PG group (27.9 ± 8.6) and GF group (41.9 ± 20.1) were shown to be statistically significantly faster than stainless steel KF group (74.9 ± 24.1) using ANOVA (p<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference observed between the mean preparation times of the PG and GF groups (p<0.05). CONCLUSION : Glide path preparation times with the rotary instrument groups were significantly faster than with stainless steel manual K-files.