Endodontic Retreatment of a Maxillary First Molar With Orthograde Retrieval of a Separated File by a Combination of Ultrasonic and File Braiding Techniques: A Case Report

Cureus. 2023 Dec 7;15(12):e50140. doi: 10.7759/cureus.50140. eCollection 2023 Dec.

Abstract

The persistence of apical periodontitis after endodontic therapy can be attributed to biological causes or when the treatment approaches have proven insufficient in completely eradicating the intra-radicular infection. This case report describes the endodontic retreatment of a maxillary molar in which file separation occurred during the cleaning and shaping procedure. The separated file was successfully retrieved utilizing a combination of ultrasonic and braiding techniques. The field of ultrasonics has undergone a thorough investigation and has been demonstrated to be a conservative technique with minimal radicular dentin trephination. The braiding technique is also a conservative method that involves the use of several braided H-files to apply a gripping force, facilitating the extraction of foreign bodies. The utilization of this methodology has been documented in the endodontic academic literature.

Keywords: braiding technique; file retrieval; maxillary first molar; retreatment; ultrasonic.

Publication types

  • Case Reports