Retrieval of amalgam from the root canal space

Removal of foreign objects from the root canal can be very frustrating. The use of a variety of instruments and techniques has been suggested for the retrieval of obstacles from root canals during endodontic treatment. This article describes a method for retrieving a large mass of amalgam restoration that was wedged into the root canal. The amalgam, which had served as the provisional restorative material during apexification of an immature ante rior tooth, was inadvertently pushed into the root canal. After the mass was bypassed, the amalgam was loosened with the aid of copious irrigation, chelation, and flotation. Hedstrom files twisted around the object allowed sufficient grip for its retrieval, enabling completion of the root canal treatment.