ProTaper Ultimate™ SX, 19mm (6)

ProTaper Ultimate™ · SX · 19 mm

Restricted accessPre-enlarging the canal bodyRelocating the orifice

The file you reach for before the sequence starts, when the orifice is in the wrong place

A canal orifice that sits hard against a root concavity, or a coronal third too tight to let the Slider in cleanly. That is what the SX is for. Dentsply Sirona call it the auxiliary shaping file: optional, used before the Slider, and only where the anatomy asks for it. SX comes in one length, 19 mm.

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

This pack: ProTaper Ultimate™ SX Rotary File, 19 mm (Pack of 6)
Dentsply Sirona · made by Maillefer Instruments Holding Sàrl, Ballaigues, Switzerland

What this file does

›  What it is for, in Dentsply Sirona’s words. Step 3 of their procedure: the SX “may be used when there is restrictive space, to pre-enlarge the body of a canal, or to relocate the coronal-most aspect of a canal away from an external root concavity.”
›  Optional, not step one. The standard sequence is Slider, Shaper, Finishers. The SX sits outside it, which is why it is sold on its own rather than inside the sequence packs.
›  Same motor settings as the rest. No change at the motor between the SX and the Slider that follows.

Where it sits in Dentsply Sirona’s sequence

1  Access first. Prepare an access that lets you identify each canal orifice (step 2).

2  SX where space is restricted. Pre-enlarge the body of the canal or move its coronal aspect away from a concavity (step 3).

3  Then the Slider. In the presence of a lubricant, passively follow the canal to its terminus and determine working length (step 4).

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

Do I need the SX on every case?
No. Dentsply Sirona write it as something that may be used, and name the three situations. Plenty of cases go straight to the Slider.

Why only 19 mm?
Its job, as step 3 describes it, is in the body and coronal aspect of the canal. Dentsply Sirona list it at 19 mm only, in rotary and hand versions.

Is it in the sequence packs?
No – those carry Slider, Shaper, F1, F2 and F3. The SX is bought separately, as here, and it is in the Treatment Solution Box.

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™ SX, 19 mm (6) · 020.003v · NiTi rotary · 400 rpm, 4–5.2 Ncm · Dentsply Sirona · REF BSTPULR6190SX