physical properties of five brands of k-files

introduction: endodontic k-files are major tools for cleaning and shaping of the root canal systems. as there are various k-files available in iranian market, the physical properties of the five available brands were investigated to assist the clinician when selecting suitable endodontic k-files according to the intended application. materials and methods: physical properties (including debris creation, machinery defect and corrosion) of the selected k-files were investigated by a scanning electron microscope (sem) under 250× magnification. for evaluating the flutes number, a stereomicroscope was used with 40× magnification. results: maximum and minimum debris and corrosion were observed in the larmrose and perfect k-files, respectively. dentsply showed the least machinery defects. other brands had intermediary properties. in addition, larmrose k-files showed the maximum flutes number compared to the other brands. conclusion: according to the results, none of the k-files had the ideal properties. more studies regarding the physical properties of the k-files and their clinical efficacy, are suggested.