The capability of two hand instrumentation techniques to remove the inner layer of dentine in oval canals

Aim To evaluate the capability of two hand instrumentation techniques, namely balanced force and circumferential filing, to remove the inner layer of dentine in oval canals. Methodology Thirty mandibular incisors with a single oval canal were selected and divided into two equal groups on the basis of their radiographic bucco-lingual internal diameters measured at a level 5 mm from the apex. Two different hand instrumentation techniques, i.e. balanced force and circumferential filing, were used in each group. A modification of the Bramante muffle mould was used to examine the root canal before and after instrumentation at a level 5 mm from the apex. The two images of the root cross-section before and after instrumentation were superimposed on one another. The perimeter of the canal and the length of the arc where the inner layer of dentine had been removed by the instrumentation were measured by means of an image analysis program. The percentage of this arc was calculated. Results The balanced force method removed the inner layer of dentine from 38.6% of the circumference of the canal wall, as opposed to 57.7% using circumferential filing. The difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.101). Conclusion In oval canals, both the balanced force and circumferential filing techniques left large portions of the canal wall uninstrumented.