comparison of removed dentin thickness with hand and rotary instruments

introduction: the aim of this study was to evaluate the amount of dentine removed after canal preparation using stainless steel (ss) hand instruments or rotary profile instruments. materials and methods: thirty-six extracted human teeth with root canal curvatures less than 30º were embedded in clear polyester resin. the roots were cut horizontally at apical 2, 4 and 7 mm. dentin thickness was measured at each section and the sections were accurately reassembled using a muffle. root canals were randomly prepared by ss hand instruments or rotary profile instruments. root sections were again separated, and the remaining dentin thickness was measured. mann-whitney u and t tests were performed for analytic comparison of the results. results: the thickness of removed dentin was significantly different between the two used methods (p<0.05). significantly greater amounts of dentin was removed mesially in all sections in hand instrumentation group (p<0.001). conclusion: profile rotary instrumentation prepares root canals with a greater conservation of tooth structure.