Necessesity of glidepath: A review article

According to West, a glide path is defined as a smooth radicular tunnel from the canal orifice of the canal to the physiologic terminus of the root canal. A glide path is achieved when the file forming it can enter from the orifice and follow the smooth canal walls uninterrupted to the terminus.Cleaning and shaping of the root canal is the single most important phase of endodontic therapy. The main goal of root canal instrumentation is to obtain a continuous tapering funnel flowing with the shape of the original canal from the coronal access to the apex and so the Glidepath is the answer. It is the starting point of radicular preparations. Without it,cleaning and shaping becomes unpredictable or impossible because there is no guide for endodontic mechanics.