Endodontic Retreatment

Endodontic retreatment includes removal of materials from the root canal space and, if present, address deficiencies or repair defects that are pathologic or iatrogenic in origin. These disassembly and corrective procedures then allow the clinician to clean, shape and seal the root canal system three dimensionally. The steps for nonsurgical retreatment include coronal access cavity preparation, removal of obturation materials, management of calcified canals, missed canals, ledges, apical transportation, perforations and then irrigation, biomechanical preparation and reobturation. A success rate of 77.3% has been reported in cases of endodontic retreatment, when follow-up was done for 2-8 years. There are situations in which a non-surgical approach may not be feasible. Surgery may be undertaken after unsuccessful treatment or when orthograde retreatment is impossible or predicts an unfavourable prognosis. However, in the past few years improvements in instruments and introduction of operating microscopes have enabled the endodontists to use a conventional approach and has enormously improved the predictability of success of nonsurgical retreatment.