Effect of electropolishing ProFile nickel-titanium rotary instruments on cyclic fatigue resistance, torsional resistance, and cutting efficiency

This study investigated the effect of electropolishing ProFile nickel titanium rotary instruments on torque resistance, fatigue resistance, and cutting efficiency. Size 25/.04 ProFile files (Dentsply Maillefer, Switzerland) that were nonpolished for the control group (n = 15) and electropolished for the experimental group (n = 15) were used for each experiment. Cyclical fatigue was determined by counting rotations until breakage with an applied 30 degrees, 45 degrees, and 60 degrees curve with a 5-mm radius. Torque and angle at failure were measured by rotating clamped files at 2 rpm until breakage. Cutting efficiency was determined by measuring the velocity of file advancement into plastic blocks with 100-g constant force for 5 seconds. Data were analyzed by either an unpaired t test or analysis of variance followed by a Fisher probable least-square difference test. Electropolishing significantly reduced resistance to cyclic fatigue but did not affect torsional resistance. However, electropolishing reduced the angle at failure and amount of unwinding. Electropolishing did not significantly affect cutting efficiency.