Avaliação do canal mésio-vestibular de molares decíduos prototipados após a instrumentação manual e rotatória

Abstract

The preservation of primary teeth until physiological exfoliation is essential for proper oral development in children. Endodontic treatment is indicated in cases of pulpal involvement, and root canal instrumentation remains one of the main challenges, particularly due to the complex root canal anatomy. Rotary systems specifically designed for primary teeth have been introduced as an alternative to improve clinical efficiency. The aim of this study was to evaluate volumetric changes and root canal wall wear in prototyped primary teeth following instrumentation with manual files and two rotary systems, including one specifically designed for primary teeth, using micro-computed tomography. Thirty-six prototyped maxillary second primary molars were used and divided into three groups (n = 12) according to the instrumentation technique: manual K-files (MANUAL), ProDesign Logic 2 (LOGIC), and Sequence Baby-File (SBF). The specimens were scanned using micro-computed tomography before and after instrumentation to measure canal volume and dentin wall thickness in the mesiobuccal root canal. Data were analyzed using BioEstat 5.3 software. Shapiro–Wilk, ANOVA, and Tukey tests were applied for volumetric analysis, while Kruskal–Wallis and Dunn tests were used for dentin wall thickness, with a significance level set at 5%. Canal volume increase was higher in the MANUAL group (21.0%), followed by SBF (17.9%) and LOGIC (12.0%), with a significant difference between MANUAL and LOGIC (p < 0.05). Regarding dentin wall thickness, no statistically significant differences were observed among the systems; however, greater dentin wear was observed in the apical third across all groups. All three systems demonstrated similar performance in preserving root canal wall thickness and promoting canal volume increase.