Advancement of mechanical properties of nickel-titanium rotary endodontic instruments by spring machining on the file shaft

Nickel-titanium (NiTi) endodontic rotary instruments are used extensively in root canal procedures by both general dentists and specialists. However, their vulnerability to fracture is the major reason for clinicians’ concern regarding their use. The objective of this study was to investigate the potential effects of spring machining of the file shaft on the fatigue and torsional resistances of NiTi rotary instruments. Three types of NiTi rotary systems with (S) and without (NS) spring machining were used in this study (n = 15 each): a spring file (SPR; #25/.06, SPR-S, SPR-NS), a ProTaper Next X2 (PTN; #25/variable taper, PTN-S, PTN-NS), and a ProTaper Gold F2 (PTG; #25/variable taper, PTG-S, PTG-NS). Spring machining was adjusted on the 6 mm of each file system’s shaft via a laser cutting process. The number of rotation cycles until fracture (i.e., cyclic fatigue resistance), ultimate torsional strength, the distortion angle, and the toughness of each subgroup were estimated with specially designed devices. The results were analyzed using a paired t-test at a significance level of 95%. NiTi rotary instruments with spring machining exhibited a higher cyclic fatigue resistance than instruments without spring machining. The groups with spring machining exhibited a higher toughness and larger distortion angle than the groups without it (p < 0.05). In conclusion, spring machining on the shank of NiTi instruments may provide a stress-bearing area and attenuate the torsional and cyclic fatigue of NiTi rotary instruments.