Smear layer removal efficacy of different irrigation techniques in conservatively instrumented root canals.

Background/purpose: Establishing effective irrigation methods is warranted to ensure the predictability of minimally invasive root canal instrumentation. This study aimed to compare the smear layer removal efficacy of different irrigation techniques in root canals instrumented with TruNatomy nickel-titanium rotary instruments.

Materials And Methods: Experiment 1: Extracted human mandibular incisors were instrumented using TruNatomy Shaping Files up to Small (#20/0.

Comparison of vapor bubble kinetics and cleaning efficacy of different root canal irrigation techniques in the apical area beyond the fractured instrument.

Background/purpose: Intracanal fractured instruments hamper adequate root canal disinfection. The aim of this study was to evaluate vapor bubble kinetics and cleaning efficacy of different irrigation techniques in the apical area beyond the fractured instrument.

Materials And Methods: Sixty curved root canal models, in which a 3-mm fragment of a #20 K-file or a WaveOne Gold Primary (WOG) instrument was intentionally separated at 3 mm from the apical foramen, were irrigated with laser-activated irrigation with photon-induced photoacoustic streaming (LAI-PIPS; 20 mJ/15 Hz), laser-activated irrigation using an Er:YAG laser unit (LAI; 30 mJ/20 Hz), or ultrasonic-activated irrigation (UAI) for 5 s.