Torsional resistance of two nickel-titanium rotatory endodontic instruments

Abstract

The authors compared the torsional resistance between the Quantec Series 2000 and Pow-R nickel-titanium rotatory instruments, using forty instruments of each brand, divided in eight of each one of the following numbers: nº 15, nº 20, nº 25, nº 35 and nº 40 with 21 mm and taper .02. Each instrument was fixed in the mandrel of a modified tropometer and held 3 mm away from its tip, on a spot that had been previously stamped with a permanent ink pen, by apprehension claws localized on the base of the equipment. Then the graduated handle was activated until a characteristic break sign of the instrument was noticed, the quantity of movement up to this moment being recorded. After the values were tabulated, the statistical analysis was carried out according to the Student t test. The results revealed a statistically significant difference when instruments of the same number, from both evaluated brands, were compared, favouring the Pow-R instruments.