Removal of root filling materials

Safe, successful and effective removal of root filling materials is an integral component of non‐surgical root canal re‐treatment. Access to the root canal system must be achieved in order to negotiate to the canal terminus so that deficiencies in the original treatment can be rectified. Since a range of materials have been advocated for filling root canals, different techniques are required for their removal. The management of commonly encountered root filling materials during non‐surgical re‐treatment, including the clinical procedures necessary for removal and the associated risks, are reviewed. As gutta‐percha is the most widely used and accepted root filling material, there is a greater emphasis on its removal in this review.