Evolution in the alloys used in the manufacture of endodotic instrumentation

ABSTRACT

Successful endodontic treatment consists of removing inflamed and/or infected tissues from the tooth, and proper disinfection and filling of root canals, using appropriate methods for mechanical-chemical preparation. The objective of this work was to carry out a review of the literature in scientific articles for knowledge of the various groups of endodontic files and their different materials and forms of manufacture over the years. For the survey of scientific articles, a search was carried out in the following databases PUBMED and Scielo. The inclusion criteria defined for the selection of articles were: Articles published from the year 2000, in Portuguese and English, articles in full that portrayed the theme of alloys used in the manufacture of endodontic files. Exclusion criteria were review articles and articles that did not meet the objective of the work. In the search, a total of 41 articles were found in the databases. An evaluation was performed by three reviewers and after reading the articles,-- they were excluded for not meeting the inclusion criteria. In the 90’s, the files were manufactured with stainless steel material and standardized according to the ISO standard (International Organization for Standardization), containing the tip gauge broken down on the handle through established colors. The introduction of NiTi alloys and the subsequent automation of mechanical preparation were the first for a new era in endodontics. The development of instruments capable of performing a more anatomically predictable root canal preparation, achievable in less time and with greater comfort for dentin and patient. In search of improving the quality and safety of endodontic instrumentation, and increasing studies for biocompatible metal alloys, which present high corrosion resistance, ductility and have shape memory effect and superelasticity.

KEYWORDS: Mechanized endodontics, endodontic instrumentation, rotary file