Introduction
Henry Schein has been offering the endodontic solutions portfolio of EdgeEndo®, one of the world’s largest NiTi rotary file suppliers, successfully for two years and has just enlarged this range by EdgeFile® X7, the number one selling EdgeEndo® NiTi system in the United States.
EdgeEndo® is conducting business in 35 countries around the world. The company’s mission is to deliver high quality dental products and solutions at affordable prices which in turn benefits practitioners and patients everywhere.
US based Endodontist, Dr. Charles J. Goodis, Founder of EdgeEndo®, received his DDS from the University of Michigan, his GPR residency at the University of Minnesota, and his Endodontic residency at the University of Connecticut. Dr. Goodis has dedicated his career to constantly improving the root canal procedure. His findings led him to create more effective root canal instruments and procedures. He’s been working as an endodontist in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA for 25 years.
Dr. Goodis, please tell us something about the company and the main products.
My background in mechanical engineering and training in endodontics, as well as trying to help the patient and dentist do the best they can, inspired me to found EdgeEndo. Edge has been in the US market since 2012. In this short time, we have become one of the largest endo companies in the world. We now offer our products in 35 different countries.
Our main products are NiTi files that are heat-treated through our proprietary FireWire process. Our best-selling system is the EdgeFile X7. It’s one of the leading files used by endodontist in the US, Canada, New Zealand, Australia and many countries in the Middle East. EdgeTaper Platinum and EdgeOne Fire have also been very successful systems in these markets. EdgeEndo has been well received in the industry. In addition to files, we also sell a full assortment of accessory products including gutta percha and paper points.
What are the benefits of the EdgeEndo files and which endodontist will benefit mostly from these files?
The patient of course wants a quick root canal procedure because any time you can reduce chair time, they appreciate. And the patient wants a precise root canal clean-up to get rid of the pain but preserve the tooth. Both is supported by the flexibility paired with the stability, our files provide and thus allow endodontists to perform an accurate and fast procedure. In addition, the reasonably-priced files make the treatment also more efficient in respect of costs.
How do you achieve the balance between offering high-quality endodontic products at low price?
Quality and value are paramount in importance at EdgeEndo. We have a very detailed quality system that allows us to produce a consistent, high quality product. Unfortunately, being an endodontist treating patients, I saw how high costs are and I thought to myself we can still offer a great product at a good price which provides value for the money. I think reasonable prices are important to a dental practice because as the dental fee structure changes in the US some dentists are making less money than they did before, and I believe offering a high-quality instrument at a lower price really helps dentists succeed.
Which is the most important instrument for root-canal preparation? How many files does one require as a rule?
My personal preference is EdgeFile X7, it is super flexible, efficient and unbelievably strong. Each system varies somewhat. As a rule, most root canals can be completed with between 1 and 3 files.
We’ve simplified the technique for systems to help the dentist and eliminate waste. As an endodontist, I never used all of the different sizes in an assortment pack. With my file systems you can purchase the files needed and follow the techniques we’ve worked on with other dentists to develop.
A common concern within root canal preparation is the cyclic fatigue. How resistant are the EdgeFiles (perhaps with reference to a clinical study)?
Our file systems are very resistant to cyclic fatigue. We’ve done both internal and 3rd party peer reviewed testing to ensure our files are more resistant. Dentist can refer to all of the published research on our site that back up our claim (https://web.edgeendo.com/studies/).
What if I already have a working system and technique? Are the EdgeFiles compatible?
Yes, I designed many systems to be an easy transition for the doctor to integrate Edge into their practice utilising the same technique and motor settings. If a dentist switched to Edge they can still use the gutta percha points, paper points and obturators they have in stock.
Do customers need new motors for the application of the files?
The motor currently being used by dentists should be able to work with our files. The only time we advise purchasing a new motor is when a dentist wants to use one of our reciprocating systems, such as EdgeOne Fire, which works in a reverse-reciprocating motion and can’t be used with a rotary motor.
The heat treatment process of the EdgeEndo files seems to play a big role in the quality and thus differs from files of other manufacturers. Can you describe the advantages to us?
We spent a lot of time creating geometrically the best instruments out there. The proprietary FireWire heat-treatment process vastly improves the NiTi metallurgy, delivering excellent strength and flexibility, improving resistance to cyclic fatigue or in other words, reducing the chances our files will separate.
Another benefit of FireWire NiTi is it enables EdgeEndo files to not “bounce back”, preserving canal anatomy, and carefully follows the canal as they shape.
How do you minimise the risk of file breakage with your files and are there any improved properties here compared to the files of other manufacturers?
Our files combine the attributes of being highly efficient and flexible, due to the proprietary FireWire heat treatment process, while being extremely safe and resistant to fracture. They are designed with a safe-unwinding feature. The files start unwinding before breaking. Unwinding signals to a practitioner that the file is fatigued and can break if they keep instrumenting with the file. This helps with stress and results in a more enjoyable procedure for the practitioner and patient. The patient is only in the chair for the time intended and this saves time and cost for both.