A cleaning protocol for rotary nickel-titanium endodontic instruments

Abstract

Background: The cleaning of endodontic and all dental instruments prior to sterilization is a prerequisite for their processing for re-use. This study aimed to develop a clinically practical cleaning protocol for rotary nickel-titanium (NiTi) endodontic files prior to sterilization. Methods: Cleaning experiments were conducted on six different types of files that had been used on human teeth. The experiments involved three components of mechanical and chemical removal of root canal debris from the files: the use of sponges soaked with chlorhexidine to remove gross debris, pre-soaking, and ultrasonication. After cleaning, the files were immersed in Van Gieson's solution and examined under mag..