Comments on The Endo Blog: Removing a Broken Endodontic File

Dear Anonymous, If an F1 separated in the apical ...

2011-03-24T13:17:01.982-07:00

Dear Anonymous,

If an F1 separated in the apical third of a very curved canal, it's not likely it will be retrieved. I would clean the canal up to the file with copious irrigation. Then I would inform the patient that there has been a separation. Then I would put the patient on recall. If the canal was irrigated well before the separation, you may not have any problem. I would not plan a surgery unless there is failure to heal following recall.
I would explain to the patient that the file can be removed surgically, but it only makes sense to do that if there is failure to heal.

I broke an F1 protaper file at the apical third of...

2011-03-24T06:38:20.363-07:00

I broke an F1 protaper file at the apical third of the canal. at the last 3mm. it is very curved. what is the next step for me? do i obturate that canal with guttapercha? or does the patient need surgery? how do i prepare the rest of the canal length?

In this specific case, the patient requested to re...

2009-08-21T10:42:14.773-07:00

In this specific case, the patient requested to return to her G.P. for insurance purposes, despite our recommendation to complete treatment at the same time.

Did you finish the case, or did you send the patie...

2009-08-20T09:36:45.616-07:00

Did you finish the case, or did you send the patient back to the referring GP for him/her to finish it?

A breakage in the apical third is very challenging...

2009-08-03T07:58:30.841-07:00

A breakage in the apical third is very challenging, especially if there is curvature of the root.
If I can visualize the file, I'll take an ultrasonic after it. Sometimes I'll even bend the ultrasonic tip slightly. However if there is risk of perforation, I stop. If I suspect I will be doing an endodontic surgery, sometimes, I'll obturate that canal with MTA.

All sounds good in case of a large instrument like...

2009-08-02T20:27:39.478-07:00

All sounds good in case of a large instrument like this one broken in the middle third, What looks difficult to me is the classic case of a protaper F2 breakage, 2 mm in length at the apical third. Exposing it or troughing the dentin around it is difficult as the ultrasonic tips cuts through the root dentin there. What would you prefer to do in such a case?