Automatic assistance: Freedom to navigate root canals, Prof. Eugenio Pedullà, Italy

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| case report

Automatic assistance: Freedom to navigate root canals Prof. Eugenio Pedullà, Italy

Introduction Mechanical root canal preparation with nickel–titanium (NiTi) instruments activated by endodontic motors has made root canal preparation more predictable in the clinical setting, as well as significantly reduced working time and stress on the practitioner. Since the introduction in the late 1980s of centric continuous rotary motion for NiTi files, new mechanised techniques have been proposed with the aim of minimising the risk of fracture of endodontic instruments by exploiting the benefits of different kinematics in endodontic therapy. Thus, trans-axial, eccentric and reciprocating motion were introduced for the activation of NiTi instruments to shape root canals. In particular, reciprocating motion (better classified as partial reciprocation with rotational effect) has asymmetrical angles of rotation in the anticlockwise and clockwise directions. Continuous rotation and reciprocation have advantages but also disadvantages. Indeed, the former allows easy progres-

1 Fig. 1: The fully automatic CanalPro Jeni endodontic motor (COLTENE).

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sion in root canals, but it does not protect the NiTi files from the risk of torsional fracture. Reciprocation increases file fracture resistance, reducing the screw-in effect but increasing the possibility of apical debris accumulation or extrusion. Therefore, hybrid motions have been designed to combine rotary and reciprocating movements, taking advantage of each. Hybrid endodontic motors have just two movements, changing the angle during activation, passing from a complete (360°) rotation to a single asymmetrical reciprocation with fixed and asymmetrical angles (clockwise differing from anticlockwise) depending on the torsional stress applied to the NiTi file. However, digital technology can facilitate continuous control of the file movement. The CanalPro Jeni endodontic motor (COLTENE; Fig. 1) allows fully automatic assistance in the shaping of root canals using different rotary motion, angle, speed and torque, automatically changed by the complex and patented algorithms of the motor. Rotary movement, speed and torque are


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