DENTSPLY Tulsa Dental Specialities ProFile Vortex
Rotary Files with M-Wire NiTi
ProFile Vortex features M-Wire NiTi technology for increased flexibility and fatigue resistance.
DENTSPLY Tulsa Dental has introduced ProFile Vortex, the next generation in its ProFile instrument series. According to the manufacturer, user tests have shown ProFile Vortex .04 and .06 ISO rotary instruments to be even more efficient than previous ProFile ISO Instruments. The proprietary M-Wire nickel-titanium (NiTi) increases flexibility and resistance to cyclic fatigue over standard nickel titanium wire.
A study published in the Journal of Endodontics looked into why the M-Wire exhibits these improved mechanical properties.1 The researchers found that the processing for M-Wire yields a microstructure containing martensite, that the proportions of NiTi phases depend on processing conditions, and that the microstructure exhibits pronounced evidence of alloy strengthening. ProFile Vortex is available in ISO tip sizes from 15 to 50 and in .04 and .06 taper.
All 8 dentists who evaluated ProFile Vortex reported using rotary instruments at least once weekly. They rated such features as cutting efficiency, breakage resistance, and ability to safely navigate the canal.
Cutting Efficiency
Seven of the 8 dentist evaluators said that cutting efficiency is very important to them when purchasing rotary instruments. When the evaluators were then asked to rate the cutting efficiency of ProFile Vortex, 4 rated it as excellent and 4 rated it as very good.
When asked about procedural time, 6 evaluators rated ProFile Vortex as excellent and 2 rated it as very good. One evaluator called the procedural time “excellent.” Another evaluator said he thought only one other system is better, but he went on to say, “I feel like the Vortex is slightly safer.”
Breakage Resistance
All 8 evaluators reported that breakage resistance is very important to them when purchasing rotary instruments, and 6 cited flexibility as very important.
When asked to rate the breakage resistance with ProFile Vortex, 3 evaluators rated it as excellent, 4 rated it as very good, and 1 evaluator rated it as good. A Mount Juliet, TN evaluator who has used ProFile for several months reported that “the only [file] I’ve separated was my mistake and I retrieved it.” Flexibility was rated as excellent by 6 evaluators and as very good by 2. One of the evaluators said, “This is one of the more flexible files I’ve used.”
Canal Navigation
When asked how well ProFile Vortex safely follows the canal path, 5 evaluators rated it as excellent and 3 rated it as very good. A dentist who has a practice in Hurricane, WV said, “These files are able to navigate the canal curvatures predictably and safely.”
Overall Satisfaction
All 8 of the dentists who participated in this evaluation said they would definitely purchase ProFile Vortex in the future and that they would definitely recommend the system to their professional colleagues. When asked how ProFile Vortex compared to similar rotary instruments, 5 evaluators called it much better and 3 called it somewhat better. At the end of the evaluation, the dentists were asked to rate their overall satisfaction with ProFile Vortex. Three rated it as excellent and 5 rated it as very good.
Reference
1. Alapati SB, Brantley WA, Iijima M, et al. Metallurgical characterization of a new nickeltitanium wire for rotary endodontic instruments. J Endod. 2009;35:1589-1593.
