Fracture of Nickel-Titanium Rotary Instruments and its Clinical Prognosis

Kim,  Hyeon-Cheol

doi:2014.52.2.60

J Korean Dent Assoc > Volume 52(2); 2014 > Article

Journal of Korean Dental Association 2014;52(2):60-68.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.22974/jkda.2014.52.2.001 Published online February 28, 2014.

임상가를 위한 특집 1 - 니켈티타늄 전동파일의 파절과 임상적 예후

김현철

부산대학교 치의학전문대학원 치과보존학교실

Fracture of Nickel-Titanium Rotary Instruments and its Clinical Prognosis

Hyeon-Cheol Kim

Department of Conservative Dentistry, School of Dentistry, Pusan National University

Abstract

Nickel-Titanium(NiTi) rotary instruments have brought a big step toward "efficient" practice of endodontic procedure. The rotary files help clinicians to reduce their working time and also increase the clinical success rate with minimal procedural errors by stainless steel instruments. In spite of these advantages, NiTi instruments still have a few drawbacks including unpredictable fatigue fracture. Clinicians may reduce the potential risk of instruments fracture by following some clinical guidelines for rotary instruments. In some clinical cases of instruments fracture, we may try to remove the instruments' fragments or bypass the fragment to reach the apical canal. In some limited cases, the fractured instruments' fragments would not jeopardize the clinical prognosis of root canal treatment. However, it is impossible to be overemphasized that the fragment removal is more difficult than the prevention of fracture. Clinicians need to understand the fracture mechanisms and, in clinic, need to discard the used instruments timely.

Key Words: Fracture;Prognosis;Root canal treatment;Nickel-Titanium instruments;