Affiliation:
1. Department of Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics, VSPM Dental College and Research Center, Nagpur, Maharashtra, India
2. Department of Civil Engineering, Shri Ramdeobaba College of Engineering and Management, Nagpur, Maharashtra, India
Abstract
Aim:
The aim of this study is to compare three endodontic files: ProTaper Universal (PTU), ProTaper Next (PTN), and ProTaper Gold (PTG) under bending forces using finite element analysis.
Methods:
This study utilizes finite element analysis conducted with ANSYS software. 3D models of the three endodontic files were prepared using ANSYS. A non-linear material model was applied, idealizing the stress-strain curve for Nickel-Titanium alloy (NiTi), the material of these endodontic files. Static and transient analyses were performed to identify three different material phases: austenitic phase, transition phase, and martensitic phase.
Results:
Finite element analysis reveals that the PTU file exhibited a maximum von Mises stress magnitude of 1249.7 MPa, PTN showed a maximum von Mises stress magnitude of 798.16 MPa, whereas the PTG file showed a minimum von Mises stress magnitude of 465.68 MPa. PTN showed more bending compared to the other file models for the same load magnitude. PTN remained in the austenitic phase until a tip displacement of 7.3657 mm, while PTU reached a maximum displacement of 4.5633 mm in the austenitic phase.
Conclusion:
The study concludes that the PTU file is the most rigid among the three file models. PTU generates higher stress magnitudes compared to the other files; thus, it is more likely to fracture under lesser bending forces. The study also concludes that PTG exhibits higher displacement with the lowest von-Mises stresses, making it the most flexible file among the three models.