EDGETAPER PLATINUM

FireWire heat treatment gives these NiTi files the strength and flexibility to navigate challenging canals without the fear of file separation and breakage.

During what is supposed to be a routine root canal procedure, dentists are often thrown a curveball in the form of a tortuous or calcified canal or some other complication. For the seasoned endodontist, those curveballs can suddenly alter your treatment plan and possibly bring treatment to a grinding halt. And for the general dentist who may be less accustomed to dealing with complex cases, what begins as a typical appointment can end in a referral to an endodontist.

Fortunately, EdgeEndo’s EdgeTaper Platinum rotary file system allows both general dentists and specialists to navigate complex canal anatomies with ease. And, thanks to the proprietary FireWire heat treatment that gives these NiTi files unmatched flexibility and strength, dentists can say goodbye to file breakage or separation.

“As endodontists, our goal is to clean and shape every canal referred to us, including the difficult ones,” explained Dr. Paul Kaplan, who discovered that EdgeTaper Platinum files allow him to “more efficiently and effectively negotiate challenging canal morphologies and reach the apices in almost every case.” He said this system saves time, enhances the patient experience, and improves ergonomics, allowing him to work “without much pressure on my hands or wrist fatigue.” After using EdgeTaper Platinum for this DPS evaluation, Dr. Kaplan says it is now his “new go-to file system, especially for the more difficult cases.”

Cutting & Shaping Efficiency

EdgeTaper Platinum features the same sizes, lengths and technique with similar tapers as familiar variable taper file systems, allowing easy transition from other systems. “Colour coding with familiar colours as other brands of files made a easy transition for usage,” noted Dr. Tony Wu, and Dr. Amir Noori E. said the files “increase efficiency and save time [with] excellent canal shaping.” Dr. Philip Aurbach appreciated that they “cut well and did not separate,” and Dr. R.J. Sondkar said they “cut and shape very smoothly without any rough engagement on the canal walls.”

Available in 21, 25, and 31 mm lengths and sold in packs of 6 files, EdgeTaper Platinum comes in 8 file choices in a familiar sequence— F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, S1, S2, & SX. For this product review, the dentists used the F-series with the SX file, which is 19 mm in length. “Providing prepackaged files provided ease of file sequence,” said Dr. Wu, Dr. Kaplan liked “how the tapers were arranged for an easy transition from one size to the next,” and Dr. Todd Sarubin appreciates the “simple setup with good match to gutta percha.” Noting that EdgeTaper Platinum offers more sizes than his previous file system, Dr. Steven Dater said, “It made my job easier and produced a very high quality of cleanliness in the canal system.”

Resistance to Breakage/File Separation

According to EdgeEndo, EdgeTaper Platinum files feature unmatched strength with more resistance to cyclic fatigue than leading variable taper files. “They are well-made files that eliminate concerns about the instrument separating in the canal,” noted Dr. Thomas Morgan. The files “cut and shape the canals efficiently with increased resistance to breakage and fatigue failure,” according to Dr. Noori E., and Dr. R.J. Sondkar said, “The extreme flex of these files gives me confidence to work on very curved canals that I’d otherwise not take on.” He added, “EdgeEndo has made a quantum leap with more flexible files that work very well in curved canals, which can otherwise be daunting for a GP dentist.”

Ease of Navigating Curved Canals

EdgeTaper Platinum files are capable of navigating 90° curves with no bounceback, according to EdgeEndo, which was appreciated by Dr. Wu. “The files being bendable allowed them to more easily navigate curved canals,” he explained. Noting that “the flexibility was eye opening,” Dr. Alfred dela Cruz shared how he was able to straighten a file that was accidentally bent more than 90°. After straightening it, he continued with the procedure and said, “I never saw anything like it before.” He also enjoyed the “simple 4 or 5 file sequence” compared to “a complicated assortment of rotary files with too many tapers” and said procedures “went quickly and smoothly.”

Overall Satisfaction

Calling EdgeTaper Platinum “systematic, easy to use, and predictable,” Dr. Morgran declared, “I highly recommend!” Dr. Nathaniel Behrents said it “performed similarly to my current system and is far less expensive.” Concluding that the files made a “tremendously positive impact” on his practice, Dr. Kaplan said, “I was incredibly impressed with so many facets of this product. Everything it promised it would do, it did.”

For more information: www.edgeendo.com

The procedures required to prepare a contaminated reusable device ready for its intended use involve several steps. Known as instrument reprocessing, these steps follow an orderly flow from cleaning through to sterilisation and storage. The instrument reprocessing area, which we often refer to as the “Steri bay”, should have a layout that guides you through these steps and be an appropriate size for the volume of instruments being reprocessed. The direction of instrument flow can be indicated by using coloured lighting or signs that help identify and separate the contaminated area from the clean area.

A cleaning process’s workflow moves from dirty to clean in a single direction. This can be achieved by dividing the Steri bay into four distinct areas:

1. Receiving, cleaning and decontamination

2. Preparation and packaging

3. Sterilisation

4. Storage

These four divided areas make up our topic of ‘STEPS INTO STERI’. In this issue, we discuss step 1 - receiving, cleaning, and decontamination. Suggested products with item codes have been provided to help you through the workflow.

Receiving

Before transferring contaminated items to the Steri bay, it is recommended to pre-clean them by wiping them at the chairside to improve the effectiveness of instrument reprocessing. Remaining traces of blood residue, cement and other materials can be removed at this time to prevent them from drying and hardening. Disposable sharp items should be disposed of by the clinician who has used them. This disposal is best done at the point of use in the treatment room, and the sharp item is safely placed into a sharps bin (HS9881907).

Transferring contaminated instruments from the treatment room to the Steri bay can be achieved with Hu-Friedy instrument cassettes (HF-IMN5108) or Zirc transfer trays (ZC-20Z401B) with locking lids (ZC-20Z446) ) to minimise the manual handling of loose items and lower the risk of a penetrating sharps injury if the container is dropped during transport. Contaminated instruments should be carried wearing gloves to the cleaning area and placed on the bench in the contaminated zone of the Steri bay.

Utility Gloves & PPE

When manual cleaning or loading items into the ultrasonic cleaner or washer-disinfector, thick utility gloves, like Hu-Friedy’s Lilac Gloves (HF-40060) should be worn, they are also required for the lubrication