ProTaper Ultimate® Shaper, 21mm (6)

ProTaper Ultimate® · Shaper · 21 mm

Coronal shapingDebris removalCurved canals

Opens the coronal two-thirds so the Finishers meet less resistance apically

ProTaper Ultimate® splits the shaping between two kinds of file. The Finishers make the apical shape; the Shaper cuts and clears the coronal two-thirds along the path the Slider made, and hands a clean, open canal to whichever Finisher comes next. This is the 21 mm version – the same file on the shortest shaft, for short teeth or where opening is limited.

Sizes as Dentsply Sirona print them. Motor settings from their Fact File.

This pack: ProTaper Ultimate® Shaper Rotary File, 21 mm (Pack of 6)
Dentsply Sirona · made by Maillefer Instruments Holding Sàrl, Ballaigues, Switzerland

What this file does

›  Its job, as Dentsply Sirona describe it. “The Shaper’s enhanced cutting efficiency and hauling of debris in the coronal two-thirds provides an easy and safe access to the apical third for the Finishers.”
›  Gold heat-treated after grinding. The same treatment as F1, F2 and F3, which Dentsply Sirona apply so the files negotiate the curve “without transportation and without unwinding issues.”
›  Cross-section tuned along its length. A parallelogram section with acute angles that vary along the file, so cutting efficiency matches the expected workload in each part of the canal.

Where it sits in Dentsply Sirona’s sequence

1  After the Slider and an irrigation pass. In the presence of NaOCl, advance the Shaper along the Slidepath, in one or more passes, to working length (step 7).

2  Irrigate and activate. On removal, irrigate, activate with the EndoActivator® to break up debris, then re-irrigate (step 8).

3  Reconfirm working length. “Especially in curved canals” (step 9), before F1.

Paraphrased and quoted from the Dentsply Sirona, ProTaper Ultimate® step-by-step procedure. Your clinical judgement governs the case; the instructions for use govern the file.

Questions we get asked

Does the Shaper go to full working length?
Yes, in Dentsply Sirona’s procedure it advances along the Slidepath until working length is reached. Its taper is what keeps the cutting work in the coronal two-thirds.

Is it used in the larger-canal sequence?
No. For larger, straighter canals Dentsply Sirona go Slider, then FX, then FXL if needed – no Shaper.

Which motor?
400 rpm and 4–5.2 Ncm for every file in the range. Dentsply Sirona list a ProTaper Ultimate® library among the X-Smart® Go’s presets; on the X-Smart® Pro+ it is set as a custom sequence, and on the VDW.SILVER® in a Dr’s Choice slot (VDW manual: up to 4.1 Ncm). All three are linked below.

When do I throw it away?
Dentsply Sirona’s procedure: inspect the flutes on every removal, and if you see unwinding, straightening or stretching, discard it and use a new file.

Complete the case

ProTaper Ultimate® Shaper, 21 mm (6) · 020.004v · Gold heat treatment · NiTi rotary · 400 rpm, 4–5.2 Ncm · Dentsply Sirona · REF BSTPULR6210SH