Endodontic Retreatment Using Dynamic Navigation: A Case Report

Abstract

Introduction: Dynamic navigation systems are used in dental implantology to optimize the accuracy of dental implant placement.

Methods: A 30-year-old man was seen at the endodontic clinic of the Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán for pain in the left maxillary lateral incisor. A previously treated tooth with symptomatic apical periodontitis was diagnosed. The patient accepted treatment, and after signing an informed consent form, minimally invasive coronal access was performed through a zirconia crown. Then a post removal was performed with an ultrasonic tip to 2 mm before the apical gutta-percha limit, and the removal of material was completed manually with a K-file.

Results: This case report demonstrates the use of dynamic navigation to remove a post from under a zirconia crown for the retreatment of a failing root canal procedure. The removal of fiber posts from endodontically treated teeth can present a unique challenge for clinicians. Numerous techniques and instrument kits are recommended for the removal of fiber posts, but the risk of excessive root structure damage is a major concern because the ability to differentiate the color difference between peripheral dentin and a bonded fiber post can complicate the accuracy of the removal.

Conclusions: The dynamic navigation system enabled minimally invasive removal of the fiber post with a high degree of accuracy, thus ensuring that there was no unnecessary removal of root structure. Dynamic navigation using real-time monitoring could reduce the attendant risk of iatrogenic errors in complex treatment cases.

Keywords: Dynamic navigation; fiber post; minimally invasive access; retreatment.