Endodontic Files


Endodontic files are used by dentists when performing root canal procedures. A root canal procedure is a common dental procedure for treating or preventing a dental abscess. During a root canal procedure, the infected nerve and pulpal tissue are removed from the root canal of the involved tooth. The root canal is then cleaned by shaping or reaming the root canal with endodontic files to produce a clean environment to receive a root canal filling material. The standard filling material, which has been used for over fifty years, is an inert material called gutta-percha.

Endodontic files may be designed to be manually manipulated by the fingers of a dentist or to be engine driven by a rotating hand piece, which rotates the file during use. Endodontic files typically consist of a tapered distal working portion containing a plurality of helical spiraled flutes, a shaft portion located proximal to the working portion, and a handle located on the proximal end of the instrument. The flutes form planing or cutting surfaces, which dislodge and remove the infected tissue within the root canal being treated. For all currently available tapered endodontic files the helical or spiral flutes turn continuously along the entire working portion of the file.

Because root canals are seldom straight, but usually curved or twisted in multiple planes, it is important that endodontic files be flexible so that the file can follow the curved canal to its terminus during the cleaning process. Another advantage to having endodontic files with enhanced flexibility is that file breakage during the cleaning process of the root canal is greatly reduced. The recognized need for flexible endodontic files has led to the use of nickel-titanium alloys as the preferred material of choice for constructing endodontic files.

Understanding that file breakage during a root canal procedure is an undesired event and its prevention is critical to a successful root canal procedure, providing an endodontic file with a resistance to breakage would be of great benefit to the field of endodontics. 

Some current cleansing and shaping techniques used to prepare the root canal employ numerous endodontic files having a continuously tapered helical fluted working portion. The numerous files used during a root canal procedure may have different tip diameter sizes and/or tapers to allow the different files to clean different regions of the root canal.

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2 Responses to “ Endodontic Files ”

  • Maya June 18th, 2009

    I recently went in for a root canal because my tooth was hurting and I could not brush that tooth or eat or drink anything hot or cold. I was told that getting a root canal will take care of the pain. After the root canal procedure on a friday, I felt fine for a few hours and then I had the same shooting pain but worse, so I took the medicine prescribed to me. By the end of the night, I was in so much pain even after taking the meds. It was now weekend, so I had no choice but to wait till monday to find out what was going on. I could not get the doctor on the phone because the doctor was too busy to talk to me, so I was told to come to the office. When I went to the office, I was told that they will take care of the pain. I was not given enough anesthesia to numb me down and the dentist was poking needles to resolve the problem. I was in so much agony while she was poking needle, I had to hold one of her hand away to try to stop. After putting me through this painful journey that felt worse than giving birth or even worse than a root canal itself I was told that there was some cement left in there, so they have removed it and there was a deep pocket which was causing pain and I should feel better now. So I thought it was all done and I will feel better pretty soon. Same problem, but worse, now I was feeling pressure in my left temple which was causing headaches, and an ear ache putting so much pressure while removing the cement and filling the pocket. Doctor said she will call to see how I was doing. I told her I am in a lot of pain still and my gums are hurting because I can still feel the shock in there from the needles. She suggested I should see the periodontist. Now the periodontist tells me that he has to fill that deep pocket which is causing pain. It seems that I am back to square one. I went in for this same pain and I am being told that I have to get this procedure called Distal/Proximal Wedge. So I am not sure why did the dentist who did my root canal could not do all that when she was that in the X-ray. My problem with my mouth has not been resolved and it seems I am paying all this money to get something done that was not required for the pain I originally went in for. Any suggestions?

  • been there done that June 26th, 2009

    Maya, am not a dentist but a patient who has been screwed by so many dentists. I hope your problem is eventually resolved. But in the mean time, go to any health food store and get fine sea salt (not the bulky kind) and put some in a bottle or cup and add hot water from the faucet. Mix it up a bit if the swishing around from the faucet wasn’t enough. This should help relieve some of your pain and clean your mouth area up a bit. Best I can offer.

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