RECIPROC® Minima R25|25mm (6)

RECIPROC® Minima R25 · 25 mm · 6 files

Narrow canalsCurvatureSingle fileMinimally invasiveSterile, single use

The second file, and the first one in a wider canal

R20 reached length and you want a larger apical preparation? Or the canal was never that narrow to begin with? R25 is where Minima goes next. Same 8% apical taper as R20, a 0.25 mm tip, and an average of 3.3% along the blade – so you gain apical diameter without paying for it in coronal dentine. In wider anatomy the instructions leave the starting size to your judgement, and this is usually where that judgement lands.

This pack: 6 × RECIPROC® Minima R25, 25 mm · sterile blister, single use
Made by Dentsply Sirona – Maillefer, Switzerland

Same apical taper, more apical diameter

The full designation is ISO 25/.08v – a 0.25 mm tip with an 8% taper apically, the v marking a variable taper that reduces coronally to a 3.3% average. Set against R20 that is a step up in apical size on an identical apical taper, so the extra preparation happens where you asked for it rather than being spent widening the canal orifice. That is the minimally invasive endodontics case in practice: take the apical diameter the case needs, and leave the pericervical dentine that determines how the tooth behaves under load.

In cases of wider canal anatomy, the selection of the initial instrument size is at the clinician's discretion.
— RECIPROC® Minima instructions for use. In narrow and challenging canals they are specific: start with R20.

What the published study found

In a laboratory study of 330 mesial canals in extracted mandibular molars (International Endodontic Journal, 2026), instruments were taken to full working length with no prior scouting and no glide path. R25 reached length in 83.6% of these deliberately narrow canals, against 96.4% for R20 and 70.9% for RECIPROC® blue R25 – a useful ranking, because it shows R25 outperforming a conventional file of the same tip size while still trailing the slimmer R20 in the hardest anatomy. No instrument fractured in any group. It is ex vivo work on extracted teeth, not a clinical trial, but it is peer-reviewed.

Using it, and when to stop

1 Reciprocating setting on a dedicated Dentsply Sirona motor and contra-angle – or by hand in severe curvatures.

2 Pecks of no more than 3 mm, very light pressure, never forcing the file down the canal.

3 If it stalls, withdraw. Create a glide path and confirm patency with an ISO 010 or 008 hand instrument before continuing – the instructions are explicit about not forcing it.

Questions we get asked

Should I be starting with R20 instead?
In narrow and challenging canals, yes – the instructions say to start with R20, and the study data supports it. In wider anatomy the choice is yours, and beginning at R25 saves an instrument and a pass.

Do I need a glide path first?
Frequently not, which is the point of the system. But the instructions require one if the file stops progressing, along with a patency check using an ISO 010 or 008 hand instrument. "Often unnecessary" and "never necessary" are different claims.

How is this different from RECIPROC® blue R25?
Same tip diameter, very different body. Blue R25 runs a .08 regressive taper and is positioned for regular anatomies, wider canals and retreatment; Minima R25 averages 3.3% and is built for narrow and challenging ones. They are companions, not replacements.

What if I need a larger apical size?
Go to R35 or R45. Their apical taper steps down to 6% and 5% as tip diameter rises, so a bigger apical preparation does not bring a bigger coronal one with it.

Can I reuse them?
No – sterile blister, single use. Reuse raises the risk of cross-contamination and breakage.

Complete the system

RECIPROC® Minima R25 · reciprocating single-file system · ISO 25/.08v · 8% apical taper, 3.3% average · blue heat-treated NiTi · S-shaped, non-cutting tip · 9.5 mm handle · 25 mm · 6 sterile files · Dentsply Sirona · REF MSTRCPM625025 · also in 21 mm and 31 mm