Comparison between stainless steel and nickel–titanium rotary preparation time for primary molar teeth by endodontists and pedodontists

Objective: To compare the time taken by endodontic and pedodontic residents for stainless steel and nickel–titanium (NiTi) root canal preparation time for primary molar.
Methods: Nineteen deciduous molar teeth were selected and divided into two groups: group I instrumented with NiTi rotary files (G-files followed by Revo-S) and group II instrumented with manual K-files.
Results: The preparation time required per canal by the endodontist subgroup was 151.9±39.2 and 57.47±12.03 s in the stainless steel and NiTi groups, respectively. The preparation time required per canal in the pedodontist group was 157.5±42.5 and 68.05±15.8 s in the stainless steel and NiTi groups, respectively. There was a significant difference between the stainless steel and NiTi groups (p<0.05). However, there was no significant difference between the endodontist and pedodontist subgroups (p>0.05).
Conclusion: Within the limitation of the present study, the preparation time required in the stainless steel group was significantly shorter than that in the NiTi rotary group. However, there was no significant difference between endodontic and pedodontic residents in terms of root canal preparation time.