Posts, points, and instruments: how to retrieve them, Part 1

Retrieving metallic objects from teeth and canals produces anxiety, particularly if the dentist retrieving the object placed it there purposely, as in the case of a post, or inadvertently, as in the case of an accidental separation. Part I of this two-part series describes three methods that can be used to retrieve such objects. Case reports are used to exemplify each method. This series cannot turn the experience into an enjoyable one, but it will point out some ways to remove unwanted fragments from root canals.