Abstract
OBJECTIVES: : This study aimed to evaluate the actual parameters of four endodontic motors, each adjusted for reciprocating motion, and compare them to the manufacturers' declared values. METHODS: The motors used were the VDW Silver Reciproc (VDW GmbH), E-Connect Pro (MK Life), Ecom (Woodpecker), and Endopen (Schuster Woodpecker). A custom optical target was attached to the motor contra-angle, the movements were recorded with a high-resolution camera, and the images were analyzed. Engagement, disengagement, net angles, and speed for each operation cycle, duration of clockwise (CW) and counter-clockwise (CCW) movement, duration of standstill after CW and CCW movement, and the number of cycles to complete a full rotation were analyzed. The data were statistically analyzed at a significance level of 5%. The replicability of all reciprocal parameters analyzed was statistically different from that reported by the manufacturers. RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference between the VDW Silver Reciproc, Ecom, and Endopen for the engagement angle. The E-Connect Pro was the least reliable at the 150°/30° settings for both angle parameters. There was no significant difference between the set and actual cycle net angles for the VDW Silver Reciproc (p = 0.493). While the actual values for the Ecom and E-Connect Pro were significantly higher than the set (p < 0.001), the actual values for the Endopen were significantly lower than the set (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Experiments on four commercially available reciprocating endodontic motors revealed that the actual motor values differed significantly from the set values.