Author’s Accepted Manuscript

Finite element analysis comparing WaveOne,

WaveOne Gold, Reciproc and Reciproc Blue
responses with bending and torsion tests

María Prados-Privado, Rosa Rojo, Carlos Ivorra,

Juan Carlos Prados-Frutos
www.elsevier.com/locate/jmbbm

PII: S1751-6161(18)31297-9
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmbbm.2018.10.016
Reference: JMBBM3030
To appear in: Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials
Received date: 5 September 2018
Revised date: 4 October 2018
Accepted date: 5 October 2018
Cite this article as: María Prados-Privado, Rosa Rojo, Carlos Ivorra and Juan
Carlos Prados-Frutos, Finite element analysis comparing WaveOne, WaveOne
Gold, Reciproc and Reciproc Blue responses with bending and torsion tests,
Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmbbm.2018.10.016
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Finite element analysis comparing WaveOne,
WaveOne Gold, Reciproc and Reciproc Blue
responses with bending and torsion tests
María Prados-Privado 1,2,#,*, Rosa Rojo 3 , Carlos Ivorra 2, and Juan Carlos Prados-Frutos 3,#
1 Department of Continuum Mechanics and Structural Analysis. Higher Polytechnic School, Carlos III
University, Avenida de la Universidad, 30. 28911, Leganés, Madrid, Spain.
2 ASISA Dental. Research Department. C/ José Abascal, 32. 28003, Madrid, Spain.

3 Department of Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Health Sciences, Rey Juan Carlos University, Avda. Atenas

s/n, 28922, Alcorcón, Madrid, Spain.

* Correspondence: mprados@ing.uc3m.com; Tel.: +34-916-249-500
# Equal contribution

Abstract: To evaluate the bending and torsional properties of four nickel-titanium endodontic files,
we simulated and compared WaveOne® primary size 25 with 0.07 taper, WaveOne Gold® primary
size 25 with 0.07 taper, Reciproc® primary size 25 with 0.08 taper, and Reciproc Blue® primary size
25 with 0.08 taper. Three-dimensional models were created using computer-aided design software
and numerically analyzed in ANSYS® Workbench. Boundary conditions for the numerical
analyses were based on the ISO 3630-1 specifications. The highest stress levels were recorded for
WaveOne® and Reciproc®. Numerical results of the bending test showed that WaveOne Gold® is
86 % more flexible than WaveOne® with a deflection of 3 mm. Reciproc Blue® was 42.31 % more
flexible than Reciproc® file with a deflection of 3 mm. The WaveOne® instrument withstood the
highest stress under the torsion test, followed by Reciproc®, then Reciproc Blue® files. The stress
under torsion in the WaveOne® and WaveOne Gold® files is reduced in a 51%. Regarding
Reciproc® and Reciproc Blue® files, the stress under torsional moments remains very similar. Our
results exposed a considerable difference in terms of stress tolerance between WaveOne® and
WaveOne Gold®. However, Reciproc® files demonstrated a similar stress distribution. The results
obtained through finite element analysis suggest that thermal treatment of files might improve
their flexibility, increasing resistance during the preparation of highly curved canals. Also, the
values obtained regarding the improvement of flexibility were in accordance with the
manufacturer claims.

Keywords: bending resistance; endodontic file; finite element analysis; nickel titanium; thermal
treatment

1. Introduction
Endodontic treatment is a clinical intervention that aims to treat infections in the root canal of
the tooth. This treatment involves a reciprocating motion which reduce the stress on the files and
allows clinicians to use only a single instrument for root canal preparation [1]. This motion has a
better root preparation than rotary motion and reduced the cyclic and torsional fatigue [2].
Compared with the continuous rotation of the endodontic files and independently of other variables
such as the angle of curvature, the rotation speed or the surface characteristics of the NiTi
instruments, the reciprocating movement improves the resistance to cyclic and torsional fatigue
[2,3]. It also allows the clinician to perform root canal preparation better and with a unique
instrument [1,3].
WaveOne® and Reciproc® files use reciprocating motion in which the direction of rotation
alternates between counterclockwise and clockwise direction, and the use of WaveOne Gold® and
Reciproc Blue® has been commercialized with improvements in behavior to the fatigue of the
instruments.
Metals 2018, 8, x FOR PEER REVIEW 2 of 15

This procedure employs endodontic instruments composed of nickel-titanium (NiTi) alloy [4].
Rotary files are commonly made of NiTi alloy because this material is flexible, super elastic, and has
excellent shape memory [5], demonstrating a nonlinear elastic behavior that allows the material to
undergo high deformation without plastic residual-strain after stress removal. Rotary NiTi
instruments have more advantages than stainless steel instruments as they require less procedural
time and produce less canal aberrations [4].
The differences in the mechanical properties between rotary instruments are due to the
variation in materials, geometrical factors such as pitch length, taper or conicity, cross-sectional
shapes, and manufacturing conditions used [6]. All these characteristics affect clinical performance.
From a mechanical point of view, NiTi alloys seem to be better suited than stainless steel for the
complex anatomy of root canals. This has been clinically verified by studies like the one published
by Pettiette et al. where a NiTi alloys had a better clinical prognosis in endodontics compared with
the use of stainless steel [7]. Nickel-titanium files were introduced to avoid unwanted changes in the
morphology of root canals caused by stainless steel files [8]. From the clinical point of view both
instruments obtain outcomes in terms of success, amount of residual bacteria and similar cleaning
capacity. However, NiTi files are associated with lower canal transportation and apical extrusion [9].
The mechanical properties of NiTi rotary files, including flexibility and torsional resistance, are
fundamental requirements of endodontic instruments for successful use [10]. Good flexibility is
crucial to maintain the shape of root canals; an acceptable torsional resistance reduces the
probability of the occurrence of the intracanal separation [11]. The super-elastic behavior of NiTi
depends on the crystallographic phases and the thermal, mechanical, and chemical treatments to
which the alloy has been subjected. This alloy used in endodontic treatment contains approximately,
55 wt % Ni and 45 wt % Ti [12]. One method of increasing the efficiency of NiTi rotary files is
improving the manufacturing process. The NiTi alloy has three different microstructure phases that
are temperature-dependent: austenite, martensite, and R-phase [13]. R-phase and martensitic NiTi
are soft and ductile and can be easily deformed, whereas austenitic NiTi is strong and hard [14].
The mechanical properties of nickel-titanium alloys and, in particular, super-elasticity and
shape memory, are influenced by heat treatment conditions [15,16]. The transformation temperature
at which the crystal structure changes from austenite to martensite or vice versa affects to
super-elasticity and shape memory properties. The rotary files have a better super-elasticity if the
NiTi alloy is fully austenite whereas, in case of full martensite, the rotary instruments have a better
shape memory property [10,16,17].
Manufacturers have introduced several thermally treated NiTi alloys to optimize the
microstructure and transformation behavior [18]. This behavior is due to a reversible solid-state
transformation from the parent phase austenite to a new crystallographic structure called martensite
[4]. Unfortunately, these heat treatments are unknown due to the protection of intellectual property
and they have not been divulged by manufacturers [19].
From a clinical point of view, the fracture of the files is an event that should be considered to
avoid performing the complicated technique of removing the separated instrument, subject to
considerable risks, especially in the apical third [20]. The prevalence of fracture in rotating nickel
titanium instruments is in the range of 0.4 to 5% [21]. Different manufacturers have made various
modifications to the alloys to reduce the probability of fracture.
The ISO 3630-1 guideline details [22] the conditions required for in vitro tests of endodontic
treatment. Torsional stiffness and bending flexibility are the two most essential properties required
in any rotary file, which determines file performance in clinical use [23]. These two properties have
been studied extensively and have been described as two of the most important causes of fracture
[24].
Because these experimental tests are very expensive, among other factors, a finite element
analysis is a good alternative for studying the mechanical behavior of endodontic instruments. Some
studies have analyzed the influence of instrument geometry on flexibility and torsional stiffness by
Metals 2018, 8, x FOR PEER REVIEW 3 of 15

using finite element analysis [25,26], but no studies have compared the mechanical behavior of
WaveOne Gold® and Reciproc Blue® files using a numerical analysis.
As WaveOne Gold® and Reciproc Blue® have now been commercialized, only some in vitro
studies have been published regarding the mechanical behavior of these rotary files [27,28].
However, from the best of our knowledge, no numerical studies in the literature have analyzed and
compared the behavior of WaveOne Gold®, Reciproc Blue® and their former instruments.
Therefore, the contribution of this paper is that the bending and torsional resistance of WaveOne
Gold® and Reciproc Blue® are analyzed. The aim of this study was to evaluate the mechanical
behavior of four commercially available instruments using the finite element method and compare
the numerical results between them.

2. Materials and Methods

2.1. Endodontic instruments analyzed

The most widely known NiTi file systems are WaveOne® (Dentsply Maillefer, Ballaigues,
Switzerland) and Reciproc® (VDW, Munich, Germany), which are made of M-Wire alloy [29,30].
The WaveOne® file has a convex triangular cross-sectional design [31]. WaveOne Gold Primary®
has a cross-section with a parallelogram structure with two cutting edges, but the most important
modification is the alloy employed, which is based on heating the file and then slowly cooling it [31].
Reciproc® files have an S-shaped cross section with two cutting edges. Reciproc Blue® also has a
heat treatment. Figure 1 details the three types of NiTi rotary instruments examined in this study.

Figure 1. Endodontic instruments: (a) WaveOne®; (b) WaveOne Gold®; (c) Reciproc® and Reciproc
Blue®.

2.2. Finite element model

2.2.1. Three-dimensional model

Metals 2018, 8, x FOR PEER REVIEW 4 of 15

Three-dimensional (3D) models were created using the computer-assisted design (CAD)
software SolidWorks® 2016 (Dassault Systèmes, SolidWorks Corp., Concord, MA, U.S.). Then, all
models were imported to the ANSYS® Workbench 16 (Canonsburg, PA, U.S.) where the simulation
was computed.

2.2.2. Material properties

WaveOne® and Reciproc® files are composed of NiTi alloy. The mechanical parameters of this
super-elastic alloy are detailed in Table 1 [4].

Table 1. Parameters used to describe nickel-titanium (NiTi) super-elastic behavior, obtained from de
Arruda Santos et al. [4].

Parameter Description Value

Austenite elasticity 42530 MPa
Austenite Poisson’s ratio 0,33
Martensite elasticity 12828 MPa
Martensite Poisson’s ratio 0,33
Transformation strain 10 %
( ) loading 6.7
Start of transformation loading 492 MPa
End of transformation loading 630 MPa
( ) unloading 6.7
Start of transformation unloading 192 MPa
End of transformation unloading 97 MPa
End of martensitic elastic regime 1200 MPa

WaveOne Gold® and Reciproc Blue® files are made of NiTi alloy through a thermal treatment
process. The files were analyzed with two different temperatures and their corresponding material
properties because the temperature at which the heat treatment is performed is unknown. Two
temperatures were used in this study: 700º and 800 ºC. The material properties after thermal
treatment at those temperatures were obtained from Safdel et al. from hot compression tests, at
different temperatures, under the strain rate of 0.001 s–1 [32]. These two temperatures resulted in the
improvement in the flexibility that the manufacturer details.

(a) (b)
Figure 2. Material properties after thermal treatment (a) at 700 ºC and (b) at 800 ºC

2.2.3. Boundary conditions

The boundary conditions used to simulate the behavior of the endodontic instruments aligned
with the ISO 3630-1 specifications [22]. For the bending resistance test, the file was held 3 mm from
the tip, preventing any displacement in the x, y, and z-axes. The shaft was deflected until a 45°
Metals 2018, 8, x FOR PEER REVIEW 5 of 15

inclination. This procedure was performed in x and y directions, taking into account eventual
differences resulting from bending orientation. Figure 3 represents these conditions.

Figure 3. Boundary condition for bending test.

For the torsion resistance test, the endodontic instrument was held three mm from the tip and
a clockwise torsional moment of 0.3 Ncm [4,25] was applied, as shown in Figure 4.

Figure 4. Boundary condition for torsion test.

2.2.4. Mesh
Mesh generation was performed in ANSYS® Workbench 16 (Canonsburg, PA, U.S.). All
endodontic files were meshed with a fine mesh and all regions of stress concentration that were of
interest were manually refined. The convergence criterion involved a change in von Mises stress in
the model of less than 5 % [33]. The element type employed in all analyzed was SOLID187.

Table 2. Number of nodes and elements.

Number of nodes Number of elements

WaveOne® 24,256 12,371
WaveOne Gold® 31,343 19,420
Reciproc® 36,758 24,254
Reciproc Blue® 32,904 21,490

3. Results

3.1. Bending resistance test

Figure 5 illustrates the bending deformation with displacement in the y-axis and shows the von
Mises stress distributions in the cross-section at three mm from the tip for each instrument.
A maximum stress of 1146 MPa appeared at one vertex of the triangle in the WaveOne® file.
The behavior of the WaveOne Gold® and Reciproc Blue® files was analyzed with two different
temperatures. Figure 5 demonstrates that the thermal treatment at 800 ºC caused a higher maximum
von Mises stress than the thermal treatment at 700 ºC. In both cases, maximum stress was lower than
those withstood by WaveOne® file under the same conditions. The von Mises stress for WaveOne
Gold® instrument was 26 % lower than that obtained by the WaveOne® file, under the same
boundary conditions.
Metals 2018, 8, x FOR PEER REVIEW 6 of 15

Figure 5. Results of bending test analysis in y-axis: von Mises stress distribution (MPa) in the
cross-section at 3 mm from the tip.

A maximum stress of 942 MPa appeared in Reciproc® file. The highest stress appeared near the
corner of the S-shaped section. The von Mises stress for the Reciproc Blue® instrument at 700 ºC was
35% lower than obtained in the Reciproc® file under the same boundary conditions.
The values of the bending moment detailed in Table 3 were obtained by multiplying the
registered bending force by the distance between the point at which the force was applied and the
fixed tip of the instrument.

Table 3. Bending resistance test results summary at 700 ºC.

Bending at 700 ºC (Ncm)

Deflection WaveOne Δ (%) Reciproc® Reciproc Δ (%)
WaveOne®
(mm) Gold® Blue®
1 0.05 0.18 97.22 0.09 0.17 47.06
2 0.04 0.4 90.00 0.51 0.88 42.05
3 0.15 1.1 86.36 0.9 1.56 42.31
Maximum stress
1146.6 847.35 –26.10 942.48 614.21 –34.83
(MPa)

As shown in Table 3, with a deflection of three mm, the WaveOne Gold® file at 700ºC was 86.36
% more flexible than the WaveOne® file. Reciproc Blue® with the same deflection and tempered
treatment was 42.31 % more flexible than the Reciproc® file. Flexibility decreased as deflection
increased in both cases.
Table 4 summaries bending resistance results at 800 ºC. In view of these results, the maximum
stress for both WaveOne Gold® and Reciproc Blue® were higher than those recorded in the same
rotary files at 700 ºC. The improvement in bending resistance at 800 ºC was also worse than found in
the same instruments at a lower temperature.

Table 4. Bending resistance test results summary at 800 ºC.

Metals 2018, 8, x FOR PEER REVIEW 7 of 15

Bending at 800 ºC (Ncm)

Deflection WaveOne Δ (%) Reciproc® Reciproc Δ (%)
WaveOne®
(mm) Gold® Blue®
1 0.05 0.18 72.22 0.09 0.12 33.33
2 0.04 0.14 71.43 0.51 0.65 27.45
3 0.15 0.49 69.39 0.9 1.14 26.67
Maximum stress
1146.6 864.3 –24.58 942.48 835.15 –11.39
(MPa)

Figure 6 details the stress distribution along the body of the instruments. Stress in all rotary files
was concentrated around three mm from the tip.

Figure 6. Stress distribution along the body of the instruments.

Figure 7 illustrates the von Mises stress distributions in the cross-section three mm from the tip
for each instrument when the displacement was applied along the x-axis.
Metals 2018, 8, x FOR PEER REVIEW 8 of 15

Figure 7. Stress distribution pattern of the bending test analysis along the x-axis for the cross-section
three mm from the tip.

3.2. Torsion resistance test

Figure 8 illustrates the von Mises stress distribution in the cross-section three mm from the tip
for each instrument analyzed in this study.
Metals 2018, 8, x FOR PEER REVIEW 9 of 15

Figure 8. von Mises stress (MPa) after torsion resistance test.

The Maximum stress in the WaveOne Gold® instrument was lower than those recorded for the
WaveOne® file under the torsional test. In this case, the maximum stress was similar at both
temperatures, but thermal treatment at 700 ºC resulted in the lowest stress. For Reciproc Blue®, the
maximum stress recorded with heat treatment was similar to that recorded in the instrument
without thermal treatment. In view of torsional test simulations, the stress pattern highly depended
on the cross-section geometry. In the case of the Reciproc® files, the temperature was a secondary
factor in stress distribution.
Figure 9 represents the stress distribution in the body of the rotary file after the torsion
resistance test. The stress was concentrated near the place where the file was fixed and decreased as
it moved away from the point of support, at three mm from the tip.

Figure 9. Stress distribution in the body of the instrument after the torsion resistance test.
Metals 2018, 8, x FOR PEER REVIEW 10 of 15

Table 5 summaries torsional results at 700 ºC. As shown in Table 5, the difference of stresses in
the WaveOne® and WaveOne Gold® files with each of torsional moments remains constant. In this
case, the stress on file with the heat treatment is reduced in a 51%. Regarding Reciproc® and
Reciproc Blue® files, the stress under torsional moments remains very similar.

Table 5. Torsional test results summary at 700 ºC.

Torsion at 700ºC
Torsional
WaveOne Reciproc
moment WaveOne® Δ(%) Reciproc® Δ(%)
Gold® Blue®
[Ncm]
0,1 330,05 160,95 -51,23% 226,23 221,7 -2,04%
Maximum 0,2 660,09 321,69 -51,27% 452,46 444,96 -1,69%
stress [MPa]
0,3 990,14 481,98 -51,32% 678,69 669,75 -1,32%

4. Discussion
This study analyzed and compared the flexibility and torsion resistance of four different
endodontic instruments via finite element analysis. The boundary conditions imposed to simulate
the behavior of the endodontic instruments were in accordance with the ISO 3630-1 specifications
[22]. To perform the numerical study, it was necessary to introduce the values of the material
properties of the NiTi. Because of the intellectual property, the temperature of the heat treatment
was unknown, and the studies were carried out with different temperatures (700 and 800ºC). Once
the results were obtained, the flexibility in each file was checked and compared with what the
manufacturer claims. Finally, a torsional test was also carried out.
The material properties of NiTi alloy were obtained from the literature, although the detailed
thermomechanical process was unknown due to the protection of intellectual property [10]. The
transformation temperature is one of the crucial factors influencing the mechanical properties of
NiTi alloys and resulting in differences in their bending properties [34,35]. WaveOne Gold® and
Reciproc Blue® files were thermally treated. Because the thermal treatment temperature was
unknown, two different temperatures were simulated, and the file flexibility differences were
measured both with and without thermal treatment.
To the best of our knowledge, no numerical studies in the literature have analysed the bending
and torsional resistance of WaveOne Gold® and Reciproc Blue®. Several NiTi alloy
thermomechanical procedures were used with the aim of improving the flexibility of NiTi files
[36,37]. The main finding in our study was that the new WaveOne Gold® and Reciproc Blue® files
with super-elastic properties were studied at different temperatures for their treatment of nickel
titanium tempering through finite elements. We verified that the results offered by the
manufacturers are compatible with those obtained.
WaveOne® and Reciproc® recorded the highest stress levels, close to the plastic regime of
martensite (1200 MPa), as demonstrated by the stress distribution results. This value aligns with
those obtained for RaCe (FKG Dentaire, La-Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland) size 25 with 0.06 taper
and PTU F1 (DentsplyMaillefer, Ballaigues, Switzerland) in a bending resistance test [4]. Notably,
the nonlinearity of the curves in both bending and force occurred because of the large displacements
[38]. The numerical results from the bending test showed that WaveOne Gold® is 86 % more flexible
than WaveOne® with a deflection of three mm at 700 ºC. Reciproc Blue® is 42.31 % more flexible
than the Reciproc® file with a deflection of three mm at 700 ºC. The manufacturer claims that their
Gold files are 80 % more flexible than the standard instrument, and Blue files are 40 % more flexible
than Reciproc®. However, the values obtained for the same test at 800 ºC did not approach the
values stated by the manufacturer. The highest temperature resulted in improvements in flexibility
below 70 % for the WaveOne and 27 % for the Reciproc.
Metals 2018, 8, x FOR PEER REVIEW 11 of 15

The von Mises stress distribution patterns were affected by the cross-section geometry and the
material properties. According to the results in Figure 5, stress concentrated in the area at the corner
of the triangle, whereas the rest of the geometries distributed the stresses more uniformly. In Figure
7, the stress distribution pattern was quite similar in the x and y directions for the WaveOne® and
Reciproc® files. However, a considerable difference was observed in this pattern when the
orientations of WaveOne Gold® and Reciproc Blue® were changed. In Figure 6, the stress in all
rotary files concentrated around three mm from the tip, although after the torsional test, stress
concentrated near the place where the file was fixed and decreased moving away from the point of
support at three mm from the tip.
Cyclic fatigue failures in WaveOne Gold, Reciproc®, and Reciproc Blue® appeared in different
analyses are in accordance with the area where the maximum stress was experienced in this study
[39,40].
The WaveOne® instrument experienced the highest stress under the torsion test, followed by
Reciproc® and Reciproc Blue® files. WaveOne Gold® files experienced the least stress. Stress values
obtained in this study are comparable with those obtained by other analyses with similar conditions
[41]. Torsional stiffness of endodontic instruments is also associated with cutting efficiency [4];
however, it could not be evaluated through this numerical analysis. Thermally treated files
experienced lower stress values than common nickel titanium files, which means that they have a
greater resistance to torsion and better cutting efficiency [5,42]. Considerable differences in terms of
stresses were found between WaveOne® and WaveOne Gold®; however, stress in Reciproc files
were quite similar.
Kim et al. reported that stress levels in instruments under torsion were influenced by many
factors, such as the geometry of the cross-section, area of the continuous inner core, radial land, and
peripheral surface ground [41]. The influence of the combination of these aspects on the stress
distribution along the endodontic instruments under torsion remains uncertain. This study shows
that the effect of the alloy is less important in this type of test than the cross-section geometry.
Several differences were observed in the design and materials used in fabrication of endodontic
files that considerably influence file properties. Therefore, clinical must understand the properties
and the differences of these materials to select the system that accomplishes the optimum clinical
results.
This study has some limitations and assumptions. The geometry of the endodontic files was
created using CAD software according to the specifications detailed by the manufacturer. This
limitation is consistent with other numerical studies [5]. The use of a simplification in the
cross-section geometry also aligns with other numerical studies [43]. Another limitation is the
treatment process assumption, as well as the percentage of austenite and martensite. In this case, the
material properties were obtained from hot compression tests at different temperatures of 700 and
800 ºC under a strain rate of 0.001 s–1 [32].
From the best of our knowledge, no numerical studies in the literature have analysed WaveOne
Gold® and Reciproc Blue® behavior, but our results are comparable with those obtained through in
vitro tests under similar conditions [41].

5. Conclusions
The results obtained through finite element analysis suggest that thermal treatment of files
might improve their flexibility, increasing resistance for the preparation of curved canals. However,
according to the results obtained in the bending resistance test, considering the limitations of the
study, the improvements in the flexibility mentioned by the manufacturer are obtained with a heat
treatment at 700 ºC.
With the assumptions and limitations of this study and in view of the results obtained, we
conclude that WaveOne Gold® has better clinical behavior.
Metals 2018, 8, x FOR PEER REVIEW 12 of 15

Future work in this area could include a probabilistic approach to study the long-term behavior
of endodontic instruments. With this approach, authors should be able to provide principal statistics
of fatigue life and the probability of failure associated with each cycle load.
Acknowledgments: The work was supported by Grant A-274 (Rey Juan Carlos University– Neodent) and
Grant A-285 (Rey Juan Carlos University – Proclinic SA).

Conflicts of Interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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