Comparison of three root canal preparation techniques on debris extrusion from apical foramen

Periapical reparative process, following root canal therapy (RCT) depends on various factors, including the amount of extruded debris to periapical region. The amount of debris extrusion is a determining factor in periapical reparative process. The aim of this study was to compare the three debris extrusion from apical foramen in root canal preparation techniques manual step back, rotary balanced force and rotary crown down. A total number of 60 single rooted teeth (incisor and premolar) were chosen non-randomly and were divided into 3 groups according to foramen diameter, root length, root divergence and the tooth type. The root canals were prepared according to standard techniques and debris extrusion was evaluated according to Montgomery method. The weights of debris were recorded by 10-5 gram precision. The data were analyzed by SPSS software version 13 using one way ANOVA and Post-Hoc tests. Mean debris weight for the step back, balanced force and crown down techniques were 0.390.21, 0.220.09 and 0.260.12 mg respectively. The difference among three groups was statistically significant (P<0.05). The difference between the two rotary groups was not significant. Debris extrusion in manual step back technique was more than the rotary balance-force and crown down technique.