With all the potential for endodontic success, the fact remains clinicians are confronted with posttreatment endodontic disease. When the elected treatment plan is endodontic nonsurgical retreatment, then the goal is to access the pulp chamber and remove materials from the root canal space and if present, address deficiencies or repair defects that are pathologic or iatrogenic in origin. This article provides a literature review with clinical recommendations for one important group of retreatment issues: the removal of posts and broken instruments.
Dr. Ruddle is Director of Advanced Endodontics, Inc, and is an Assistant Professor of Graduate Endodontics at Loma Linda University and University of California, Los Angeles, is an Associate Clinical Professor at University of California, San Francisco, and is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Endodontics at University of the Pacific, School of Dentistry. Additionally, he maintains a private practice in Santa Barbara, California. Dr. Ruddle has a financial interest in the products he designed and developed, which include the ProUltra ENDO ultrasonic instruments, the Post Removal System (PRS), and the Instrument Removal System (iRS).
Address request for reprints to Dr. Clifford J. Ruddle, DDS, Advanced Endodontics, 227 Las Alturas Road, Santa Barbara, CA 93103;
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