Separated Instruments- A Mind-Set Between Hard and Rock- A Review

With an increased practice of rotary endodontics in recent years separated rotary nickel-titanium (NiTi) files in root canals is the most commonly reported mishap, causing lot of stress and anxiety among clinicians and patients. No clear guidelines can be drawn from the literature available, because there are either too few studies about the effects of broken files on prognosis or few studies that have been performed on patients. The prognosis is also dependent on file location, prior condition of the pulp, presence or absence of periapical lesion and many other factors. Intracanal separation of endodontic instruments may hinder cleaning and shaping procedures within the root canal system with a potential impact on the outcome of treatment. This article presents an overview of the literature regarding management of separated intracanal instruments.