A Minimally Invasive Technique for the Retrieval of Fractured Root Tips

Exodontia, the removal of a compromised tooth, ideally consists of the painless removal of the tooth or tooth root, with minimal trauma to the surrounding tissues, resulting in complete healing without creating postoperative prosthetic problems. Fractures of the tooth's root tip during exodontia can be common in some cases, such as in teeth with irregular root morphology or severely decayed teeth. The current article presents a technical report in which endodontic files made it possible to remove a fractured root tip from a maxillary third molar without using force.

Removing Fractured Endodontic Files with a Tube Technique-The Strength of the Glued Joint: Tube-Endodontic File Setup

One recommended technique for removing broken root canal instruments is to glue the fragment into a cannula adapted to it (i.e., the tube technique). The aim of the study was to determine the influence of the adhesive kind and length of the joint on the breaking force. During the investigation, 120 files (60 H-files and 60 K-files) and 120 injection needles were used. Fragments of broken files were glued into the cannula using one of three materials: cyanoacrylate adhesive, composite prosthetic cement, or glass ionomer cement. The lengths of the glued joints were 2 and 4 mm. After the polymerization of adhesives, a tensile test was carried out to find a breaking force. The results were statistically analyzed (p < 0.05). For 4 mm lengths of glued joints, the breaking force was higher than for 2 mm for both file types (K and H). In the case of K-type files, the breaking force was higher for cyanoacrylate and composite adhesives than glass ionomer cement. For H-type files, no significant difference in joint strength was found between binders at 4 mm, while at 2 mm, a much better connection was obtained for cyanoacrylate glue than prosthetic cements.

Fracture of epidural catheter: A case report and review of literature

Epidural blocks are a very important part of the anesthetic armamentarium. Among some of the known complications, fracture of epidural catheter, though is extremely rare, is a well-established entity. When it happens, it leaves the anesthesiologist puzzled and worried. We describe the occurrence of such an event where epidural catheter broke during insertion since it will also add to such an under-reported complication of a very commonly performed procedure. A brief review is also done which will delineate the recommendations for the prevention and management of such an event.

Removing fractured endodontic instruments with a modified tube technique using a light-curing composite

INTRODUCTION

The aim of this in vitro study was to assess an alternative method using light-curing composite for removing fractured endodontic instruments with a tube technique.

METHODS

Two different stainless steel endodontic instruments (ISO 20: Hedstrom files, K-files; VDW, Munich, Germany) were cut at the diameter of 0.4 mm. These fragments were fixed in a vise leaving a free end of 1 or 2 mm. Cyanoacrylate (Instant Fix; Henry Schein Dental, Melville, NY), dual-curing Rebilda DC (VOCO, Cuxhaven, Germany), and light-curing SureFil SDR (Dentsply, York, PA) were placed into microtubes (N'Durance Syringe Tips; Septodont, Saint-Maur, France) and shifted over the instruments (n = 20 in each group). After polymerization, pull-out tests were performed with a constant speed of 2 mm/min; failure load was measured digitally. Data were analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis test followed by the Dunn test for pairwise comparison.

RESULTS

The median failure load was up to 62.5 N for SDR, 35.8 N for Rebilda, and 14.7 N for cyanoacrylate, respectively. Both tested composites yielded significantly higher values in pull-out tests than cyanoacrylate. The disconnecting force was highest when light-cured composite SDR was used for fixation. Removing Hedstrom files resulted in higher values than removing K-files. The median force when using SDR was 79.7 N (interquartile range, 66.0-86.8 N) in Hedstrom files and 53.3 N (interquartile range, 47.1-58.5 N) in K-files.

CONCLUSIONS

Within the limitations of this study, the use of light-curing composite inside of the microtube was superior compared with the use of cyanoacrylate or chemically cured composite, which are being used presently.