Enhancing debris removal in curved canals: a comparative evaluation of XP-endo Finisher and Passive Ultrasonic Irrigation

Objectives The study aimed to compare the efficacy of XP-endo Finisher and Passive Ultrasonic Irrigation (PUI) in removing hard tissue debris from curved canals. Materials and methods Thirty-four mandibular molars with Vertucci’s type II mesial canals were scanned in microcomputed tomography before and after preparation with HyFlex EDM, and accumulated hard tissue debris was quantified. Subsequently, the teeth were randomly divided into two groups according to the supplementary procedure: PUI with the Ultra-X insert or XP-endo Finisher. After the intervention, the specimens underwent another scanning. Two separate analyses were conducted, one for the total canal and another for the isthmus area. Unpaired and paired T -tests were used for inter- and intergroup comparisons, with a significance level set at 5%. Results Both supplementary methods reduced the amount of debris compared to the initial volume. Remarkably, the XP-endo Finisher achieved a significantly higher percentage of debris removal (71% for the total canal and 74% for the isthmus areas) compared to PUI (41% for the total canal and 52% for the isthmus area) ( P < 0.05). Conclusions Both supplementary approaches reduced the amount of hard tissue debris from canal preparation, still XP-endo Finisher showed a higher reduction compared to PUI ( p < 0.05). Clinical relevance None of the supplementary methods rendered canals completely free of hard tissue debris. However, the supplementary approach with XP-endo Finisher resulted in lower levels of hard tissue debris than PUI in curved canals with isthmuses.