Instrument fracture complicates the endodontic procedure by obstructing debridement, delaying treatment completion and affecting the patient's dental experience. When a file fractures there are several treatment options that could be selected, however, the future management should be based on the effect of the fractured instrument on treatment outcome.
Clinical decision making after endodontic file fracture McGuigan et al. British Dental Journal, 2013
When a file fractures during root canal treatment there are several treatment options available to the clinician. The definitive management should be based on a thorough knowledge of the success rates of each treatment option, balanced against potential risks of removal or file retention. Although integration of modern techniques into endodontic practice has improved the clinician's ability to remove fractured files, removal may not always be possible or even desirable.