Chapter 25. ENDODONTIC INSTRUMENTS

There are many types of endodontic instruments on dental market. All of them are divided into the following groups:

1) instruments for making endodontic access (round bur with long neck, Gates Glidden bur etc.);

2) instruments for root canal shaping:

• hand endodontic instruments are worked by hands (e.g. K-file, H-file, ProTaper, etc.);

• machine (engine-driven) instruments are used in endodontic hand-pieces (for instance, ProFile system, etc.):

- instruments with continuous rotation (e.g. ProTaper files);

- instruments with reciprocal rotation (e.g. Reciproc files).

3) ultrasound instruments (instruments for cleaning root canal walls, removing obturated materials, posts etc.).

INSTRUMENTS FOR ENDODONTIC ACCESS

For endodontic access preparation different kinds of burs and drills are used. Some of them are as follows.

► Endo Access Bur.

► Round bur with long neck/long shank (diamond or tungsten).

► Gates Glidden bur.

► Safe-ended tapered bur (diamond or tungsten).

► Largo Peeso Reamer bur.

Endo access bur (fig. 25.1) is a combination of a round and cone shaped course diamond which allows access into the pulp chamber and preparation of the chamber walls. The bur effectively cuts both at the lateral side and at the tip.

Safe-end tapered diamond bur. After initial penetration the long safe ended diamond access bur (fig. 25.2) opens up the pulp chamber, and the rounded non-cutting tip prevents perforation of the pulp chamber floor. Advantage: effective cutting of lateral walls with NO risk of perforating of pulp chamber floor.

Fig. 25.1. Endo access bur (image courtesy of DENTSPLY Mallifer)

Fig. 25.2. Safe ended diamond FG access bur (image courtesy of Quality Endodontic Distributors Ltd)

Safe end tapered tungsten carbide (fig. 25.3). Advantage: effective cutting of lateral walls with NO risk of perforating of pulp chamber bottom.