Effect of different irrigation systems and gravity on the amount of apically extruded debris

Purpose: This study evaluated the impact of different irrigation systems and gravity on debris extrusion during endodontic procedures.
Methods: Sixty extracted human maxillary and mandibular canines meeting specific criteria were divided into groups: Group 1 comprised maxillary canines (n = 30), and Group 2 included mandibular canines (n = 30). Within each group, teeth were further subgrouped based on selected irrigation systems: a) Conventional Needle Irrigation (CNI) (n = 15), and b) Sonic Irrigation (SI) with EDDY (n = 15). Debris extrusion was measured. A two-way ANOVA was performed to assess the effect of irrigation systems and gravity on the amount of extruded debris.
Results: The results indicated measurable apical extrusions of debris. Although the mandibular position caused more debris extrusion compared to the maxillary position, there was no significant difference related to the effect of gravity. Furthermore, within each group, SI with EDDY exhibited slightly more debris extrusion than CNI, but this difference was not statistically significant.
Conclusion: These findings indicate that both the position (mandible and maxilla) and activation effects, either independently or interactively, do not create a statistically significant difference in debris extrusion.