ROEN0310

32 I I case report _ instrument removal _Fractured instruments pose a challenge to every endodontist. The difficulty in the retrieval of these instruments ranges from surprisingly easy to downrightimpossible.Theclinicaloutcomeofcases withfracturedinstrumentsdependsonseveralfac- tors, such as the position of the instrument in the canal, the type of material, the instrument size and canal anatomy.¹ Failure in retrieval of the fractured instrument does not automatically result in failure of the case.² One can still try to bypass the instru- ment, choose a surgical approach, or even wait and see. However, if we bear ‘nothing ventured, nothing gained’ in mind, then we should always at least try to retrieve the fractured instrument. _Case I A 27-year-old female patient was referred to our practice. She was in good health and had an Ameri- canSocietyofAnesthesiologists(ASA)scoreof1.The patient had some mild clinical symptoms on tooth #30 due to apical periodontitis. She had been told, by the referring dentist, that there was a fractured instrument in her tooth and that the instrument had to be removed first in order to allow for decent retreatment. Before starting with the treatment, a new diag- nostic radiograph was taken. In this case, the diag- Fig. 1_Diagnostic radiograph, showing two separated instruments in the mesial root. Fig. 2_A modified Gates-Glidden bur used for creating a plateau above the instrument. roots3_2010 Removal of a fractured instrument: Two case reports Author_ Dr Rafaël Michiels, Belgium Fig. 1 Fig. 2

Please activate JavaScript!
Please install Adobe Flash Player, click here for download