Founded on the same innovative business model as the successful US company EdgeEndo, DirectEndodontics, based in France, sells European-made endodontic products directly to dentists, delivering high quality at a substantially lower cost. In this interview, Dr Alessio Zanza, a young clinician and researcher who began developing his expertise in endodontic instruments during his undergraduate studies at the Sapienza University of Rome in Italy, speaks about how the quality-to-price ratio of endodontic files from DirectEndodontics helps improve access for new practitioners or those in under-resourced areas. He also emphasises the importance of understanding mechanical and metallurgical properties in order to select the ideal nickel–titanium (NiTi) file system.