Goerig, David Charles2013-11-112013-11-112013-08https://hdl.handle.net/11299/160090University of Minnesota M.S. thesis. August 2013. Major: Dentistry. Advisors: Dr. Scott B. McClanahan, Dr. Walter Bowles, Dr. Alex Fok. 1 computer file (PDF); vi, 50 pages, appendices I-III.Introduction: This study evaluated glide path preparation of nine instrument systems in simulated s-shaped canals and the preparation's effect, if any, on the two-dimensional surface area after final instrumentation to a clinically relevant size. Methods: One hundred S-shaped canals were filled with ink and preinstrumentation images were obtained using a stereomicroscope. Glide path preparation was performed by an endodontic resident using FlexoFiles, FlexoFiles mounted in M4 safety handpiece, rotary EndoMagic instruments, rotary K3 instruments, rotary PathFiles instruments, rotary Pre Shaper instruments, rotary ScoutRace instruments, rotary V-Glide instruments, and rotary X-Plorer instruments. Preinsturmentation and postflaring images were superimposed and S-Shaped canals were measured for deviation in both curves. All Blocks were instrumented with K3XF to a final apical size of 35/0.04. Surface areas of preinstrumentation and postinstrumentation images were measured to obtain a percent change for each block and the mean percent change was compared amount groups. Results: The mean difference of material removed from the apical curvature demonstrated no significant difference between the nine groups (p=0.3408), whereas there was a significant difference in means between the groups in the coronal curvature (p<0.0001). Comparison of the percent change in mean surface area amongst the groups before and after instrumentation with K3XF were not statistically significant (p= 0.1782). Conclusions: A variety of methods may be employed to obtain a glide path with minimal deviation from the original canal space and that the method used may not have much influence of the final canal shape.en-USEndodonticsGlide pathPathfinding insturmentsRotary nickel-titanium instrumentsS-blockThesis or Dissertation