Comparison of the effects from coronal pre-flaring and glide-path preparation on torque generation during root canal shaping procedure

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of glide-path preparation and coronal pre-flaring on torque generation of rotary nickel–titanium files. Sixty mesiobuccal root canals of 3D printed resin teeth (Dentalike) were randomly divided into 4 groups (n = 15) according to the preparation method; Group 1: OneCurve only; Group 2: OneG and OneCurve; Group 3: OneFlare and OneCurve; Group 4: OneFlare, OneG, and OneCurve. During the final canal preparation procedure, the torque generated was recorded. The sum of generated torque and maximum torque were calculated. Statistical analysis was performed with one-way ANOVA and Duncan’s post hoc comparison. The summed torque was reduced by glide-path preparation and coronal pre-flaring (P < 0.05), whereas the maximum torque was not reduced by the glide-path preparation (P > 0.05). It will be advantageous to create a glide-path with coronal pre-flaring to reduce the stress and reactive forces to the NiTi file and root dentin.