Study of the RinsEndo action on the smear layer and debris removal by scanning electron microscopy

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the in vitro efficacy of the RinsEndo device to remove the smear layer and debris in root canals. Materials and methods: Three groups of teeth (20 teeth in each) were instrumented with ProTaper files to F3 and irrigated as follows: Group 1 (control): syringe irrigation with 20 ml of 3% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl), then a flush-flow with 2 ml 8% ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) solution and a final rinse with 3 ml 3% NaOCl; Group 2: irrigation by RinsEndo with the same irrigants and volumes as in Group 1; Group 3: irrigation by RinsEndo, 20 ml NaOCl then 2 ml EDTA, and the final rinse with 3 ml 3% NaOCl activated by passive ultrasonic irrigation. Teeth were split longitudinally, and the middle and apical thirds of the root walls were observed by a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Mean scores for the smear layer and debris were compared between the groups (Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests). Results: No significant difference was found between the smear layer scores (P > 0.05). For debris, Group 3 showed significant differences from Group 1 (P = 0.001) in the apical third. Conclusions: RinsEndo used alone did not show improved removal of debris and smear layer when compared with manual syringe irrigation. RinsEndo used in conjunction with ultrasonic irrigation removes debris better than manual irrigation. Palabras clave: debris, irrigation, RinsEndo, smear layer, ultrasonic