Method of Using the File Extraction Probes:

Insert the probe along the wall of the canal with a slight pressure that allows the probe to flex up against the canal wall and allow the flexible, flat prong to follow the wall to the tip of the broken file and wedge the device between the file and the wall of the canal. The tip of the vibratory or ultrasonic device is then placed and stabilized in the hole of the probe just distal to the flattened portion and activated. The probe is extremely thin, light and flexible and allows the vibrations of the ultrasonic or vibratory device to be readily transferred through the probe to it’s tip and into the junction of the wall of the canal and broken file. The use of flexible steel guarantees that there will be no fatigue of the probe itself over the course of many years and hundreds or thousands of uses.

Two separate and distinct actions ensue:
a) On the side of the wall of the canal, the combination of the abrasive and transferred vibrations cause an abrasion or ‘wearing away’ of the dentinal wall of the canal creating a trough between the file and the wall of the canal.
b) On the side of the broken file, the abrasive creates a micro mechanical retention between the flutes of the broken file and the probe. The vibrations then cause a loosening of the file from the wall of the canal itself.

The use protocol:
1-The probe is pushed into the junction of the canal wall and file fragment with the dominant hand.
2-Once stabilized, the probe is held in place and then passed to the non-dominant hand.
3-With the dominant, now freed from holding the probe, the ultrasonic device is then pushed tightly into the hole as pictured, and then activated.
4-With the probe tip tightly held in the junction of the canal wall and the file remnant, slight up/down coordinated movements of the dominant and non-dominant hand causes the probe tip to start to loosen and elevate the file remnant. When there is a slight movement of the file remnant on the one side, use a different angled probe to access the opposite side and repeat the process.
5-Continued repetition of the process [first one side then the other] loosens and elevates the the file remnant until it can be easily grasped with the Laschal Steiglitz Forceps and removed.