Browsing by Author "Caputo, Stefano"
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- In vitro evaluation of manual and mechanical canal preparation time: natural versus artificial teethPublication . Caputo, Stefano; Reis, TiagoEndodontics is the field of dentistry that deals with the therapy of the endodontium, which is the inner part of the tooth or pulp. Endodontic treatment involves the removal of the pulp tissue, followed by cleaning and shaping of the root canals, and finally, the definitive filling with cement and gutta-percha. The manual technique involves the use of K-File files. On the other hand, the mechanical technique in this study uses ProTaper Gold® files associated with an endodontic motor. Working with natural teeth allows testing the anatomy of the root canal system and the natural hardness of dentin, although obtaining them is increasingly difficult due to informed consent requirements. To overcome these disadvantages, artificial teeth have been developed to replicate the anatomical and physical characteristics of natural teeth. This experimental study aims to evaluate working time by comparing two endodontic techniques—manual and mechanical—on natural and artificial teeth. The natural teeth used in this study were collected from dental clinics in Northern Italy and divided into two sample groups of 10 natural teeth, composed of 4 incisors, 2 canines, and 4 premolars. The artificial teeth were also divided into two groups of 10, maintaining the same proportions and anatomical characteristics. The preparation of the teeth was carried out according to the protocol of the manual technique and ProTaper Gold®, as taught in the curricular units of Endodontics I, II, III, and Conservative Dentistry of the Integrated Master's in Dentistry at Fernando Pessoa University. The measurement of working time was conducted by timing only the actual rotation time of the files inside the root canal, excluding the time required for instrument changes. The ProTaper Gold® system demonstrated significantly shorter preparation times for both natural and artificial teeth compared to the manual technique (p < 0.05). In both the manual and ProTaper Gold® techniques, natural teeth required longer preparation time than artificial teeth, although this difference was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). In summary, the findings from this experimental study indicate that mechanical preparation requires less time to complete canal preparation compared to manual preparation, while natural teeth typically demand more time than artificial teeth.