Endodontic instruments fracture in root canal: Integrative review

Introduction: Endodontic instruments fracture is related to several factors from internal dental anatomy and type, to operator inability and inexperience. Objective: To review case reports related to fracture of endodontic instruments inside the root canal. Methodology: A literature review was carried out using papers available in the PubMed and Lilacs databases. Only case reports were included, with no restriction on language and publication year. Results: It was analyzed eight papers with 11 instrument fracture cases, with the highest prevalence (45.5%) of rotary instruments fracture, occurring mainly in middle-cervical and middle-apical root canals thirds. In 90.9% of cases, techniques used for removal showed successful results and in only one case (9.1%), the technique was unsuccessful and the instrument was kept inside the root canal. Final considerations: Endodontic instruments fracture is a complication can directly affect prognosis and endodontic treatment success. Several techniques and devices can be used to remove fractured fragments inside root canals, however, there is no specific protocol for their removal.