As endodontic therapy steadily becomes a more routine part of general dental practice, the clinician is bombarded with an assortment of new products designed to make treatment more precise, effective and easier to perform. The advancement in the field of endodontics closely follows the advances in instrument technology. Newer instruments overcome the deficiency seen in the earlier ones. Thus a thorough knowledge in the evolution of instruments is mandatory for one to appreciate the art and science of endodontics.