Removal of a fractured instrument in endodontics: a case report

ABSTRACT

Endodontics aims to eliminate bacteria and their by- products from inside the root canal, in order to paralyze the infection and thus keep dental elements in function that, otherwise, would be lost, not causing damage to the patient’s oral health. During the stages of the endodontic procedure, the professional is prone to errors, both due to failure of the instruments and/or root anatomy of the dental element, as well as the lack of knowledge/skill of the dentist. The present study aims to report the case of a patient who was referred for endodontic retreatment of element 25, who had a fractured endodontic instrument inside the buccal root canal. After performing a clinical and radiographic examination of the patient, the DS decided to try to remove the fragment via the canal, with the aid of ultrasonic inserts. After one hour of ultrasonic vibrations with the E18 tip (HELSE) at 50% power, the fragment was removed.

KEYWORDS: fracture of rotary files; types of mechanized file fractures; fractured file removal.