ABSTRACT
Objective: This study aimed to compare the frequency of dentinal microcracks after root canal
shaping with 2 reciprocating (Reciproc and WaveOne) and 1 combined continuous reciprocating
motion twisted files adaptive (TFA) rotary system. Materials and Methods: Ninety molars were chosen and divided into three groups of 30 each. Root canal preparation
was achieved by using Reciproc R25, Primary WaveOne and TFA systems. All the roots
were horizontally sectioned at 15, 9, and 3 mm from the apex. The slices were then
viewed each under a microscope at × 25 magnification to determine the presence of
cracks. The absence/presence of cracks was recorded, and the data were analyzed with
a Chi-square test. The significance level was set at P < 0.05. Results: Instrumentation with Reciproc produced significantly more complete cracks than WaveOne
and TFA (P = 0.032). The TFA system produced significantly less cracks then the Reciproc and
WaveOne systems apically (P = 0.004). Conclusions: Within the limits of this study, the TFA system caused less cracks then the full
reciprocating system (Reciproc and WaveOne). Single-file reciprocating files produced
significantly more incomplete dentinal cracks than full-sequence adaptive rotary motion.
Key words:
Adaptive motion - dentinal defects - microcracks - reciprocation - single-file system