Comparative evaluation of mechanical properties and shaping performance of heat-treated nickel titanium rotary instruments used in the single-length technique

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the mechanical properties of contemporary heat-treated nickel-titanium (NiTi) rotary instruments used in the single-length technique [ProTaper Next (PTN), HyFlex EDM (EDM), and JIZAI (JZ)]. Bending loads, cyclic fatigue resistance, torque/force values and canal-centering ratios were evaluated for the three instruments and a non-heat-treated experimental NiTi instrument with the same geometry as JZ (nJZ). EDM and JZ exhibited significantly lower bending load and more cycles to failure compared with nJZ and PTN (p<0.05). PTN and JZ exhibited significantly better centering ability than nJZ and EDM (p<0.05). JZ and nJZ generated significantly smaller upward force and maximum torque than PTN and EDM (p<0.05). Under the present experimental condition, JZ exhibited flexibility and cyclic fatigue resistance comparable to EDM, better maintained the canal curvature than the other instruments, and generated smaller torque and screw-in force than PTN and EDM.