Quest for hidden alley- hide & Seek in mandibular anteriors

Abstract

Failure is the good teacher than success. When returning to the root canal system for retreatment, there is always a lesson to be learned. An often cited reason for endodontic failure is the inability to identify, access, treat, and fill every single canal. Mandibular incisor teeth are not an outlier to this rule. Mandibular incisors are one such tooth which is regarded as least difficult for endodontic treatment. But the intricacy of the mandibular incisors internal anatomy presents us with various challenges during root canal treatment. Prevention of missing anatomy commences with adequate pre-operative radiographs, notwithstanding the limitations of radiography in estimating the number of canals and the presence of auxiliary canals and anastomoses. Without a second thought, a correct access cavity preparation is crucial to localising the root canal orifices, and this also calls for a comprehension of the tooth's internal architecture. This case series highlights the non- surgical endodontic retreatment of mandibular incisors with missed canal.