Root canal retreatment asks more of your instrument kit than a first-time root canal: the old filling has to come out before the canal can be cleaned and filled again. This guide maps the main retreatment supplies, from rotary retreatment files and Hedstrom files to gutta-percha spears and post removal forceps, to the step where each one does its job, with current Canadian pricing from EBIKO Dental.
A first root canal starts with a canal that has never been filled. A retreatment starts with a canal that has already been filled, so the old filling has to come out first. That difference changes what belongs on the tray.
As of October 2026, the International Endodontic Journal has published a new editorial, online on 20 October, titled "Protocol for the Development of A Root Canal Retreatment Difficulty Classification: A Framework for Enhanced Clinical Decision-Making," by Srinivasan, Nagendrababu and colleagues. Whatever framework emerges, every retreatment still comes down to the same practical question: do you have the right instrument for each stage of removing the old filling?
This guide is written for general dentists and endodontists in Toronto, the GTA and across Canada who want a practical retreatment setup without guessing at what to order.
What makes retreatment supplies different from primary endo supplies?
The difference from a primary case is the removal stage. Before shaping can begin, the existing filling has to be taken out, and the instruments below are each described by their product pages for a part of that job.
Retreatment removal instruments fall into four groups:
- Rotary retreatment files that remove filling material from the canal in stages.
- Hand files that use a pull-back stroke to lift gutta-percha off the canal walls.
- Retrieval instruments that engage softened gutta-percha and small fragments.
- Forceps for gripping and removing posts or silver points once they are accessible.
Then come the instruments that bring the case back to a normal endodontic workflow: small hand files to regain patency, and the measuring tools you use when you refill the canal.
How are rotary retreatment files used, canal third by canal third?
The NIC O File Retreatment Rotary File NiTi is a three-file system designed to remove gutta-percha, sealer and resilon during retreatment. The product description gives each file a canal third:
- D1 (16 mm, .09 taper) for the coronal third
- D2 (18 mm, .08 taper) for the middle third
- D3 (22 mm, .07 taper) to working length in the apical third
The product page describes an active cutting tip for initial penetration and a steep variable taper. Each pack holds six files and costs $56.99 CAD, whether you order D1, D2, D3 or a D1 to D3 assortment. The files are listed as autoclavable.
The recommended sequence on the product page starts the way a primary case does: remove the restoration and gain access. Then the files work coronal to apical, with patency checked between steps using a stainless steel K-file in sizes #10 to #15. Once the filling is out, the canal is re-shaped with your usual rotary system.
Pro Tip: If you are new to the system, consider the D1 to D3 assortment variant first. At $56.99 CAD, it costs the same as a single-size pack.
Which hand files help remove gutta-percha?
Hedstrom (H) files
H-files cut on the pull stroke. The EBIKO Hand H-File Stainless Steel has a helical cutting design made for a filing (pull-back) motion, and its product page names retreatment and gutta-percha removal among its main uses. It comes in 21, 25, 28 and 31 mm lengths, six files per pack, at $7.99 CAD.
For curved canals, the EBIKO Hand H-File NiTi combines the same cutting design with nickel-titanium flexibility. The product page positions it for retreatment and finishing in curved canals where stainless H-files would be too rigid. It is $12.99 CAD for six.
The handling rule for both is printed plainly on the product page: H-files are for filing motion only. Never rotate them clockwise, because of the risk of fracture. Use them after K-files have established patency and width.
K-files for patency
Regaining patency is a recurring step in retreatment. The EBIKO Hand K-File Stainless Steel covers ISO sizes #6 to #60 in 21, 25 and 31 mm lengths, at $7.99 CAD for six. Its product page suggests scouting with a #10 K-file to establish patency to working length, which lines up with the #10 to #15 patency check in the O File sequence above.
C+ files for calcified canals
For canals that are hard to negotiate, the EBIKO C+ File Stainless Steel is a reinforced stainless steel hand file made for negotiating calcified, sclerotic and obliterated canals. It comes in the fine sizes #6, #8, #10 and #15, in 21, 25 and 31 mm lengths, at $12.99 CAD for six.
How do you retrieve softened gutta-percha and small fragments?
Once the filling has been softened, it has to be lifted out, and that is where a retrieval instrument earns its place. The EBIKO Dental GP Remover Spear is a single-ended hand instrument designed for exactly this step. According to the product page, its pre-bent, spear-pointed tip engages and lifts softened gutta-percha and small apical foreign bodies once the filling has been softened with heat, solvent, ultrasonics or rotary retreatment files.
Details from the product description:
- A 360° edge, so it scrapes at any rotational angle without repositioning
- A rounded cutting edge intended to follow the canal and help reduce gouging of the canal wall
- Three tip diameters (0.3, 0.5 and 0.7 mm) and two working lengths (21 mm and 28 mm), for six variants
- Autoclavable at 134°C
Each spear is $39.99 CAD.
Pro Tip: Keep at least two tip diameters on hand so you can match the tip to the canal.
What do you need for posts and silver points?
For cases involving a post or a silver point, the Steiglitz 14 cm Straight Post and Silver Point Removal Forcep from HiTeck is listed as a post and silver point removal forcep, and HiTeck describes its endodontic forceps as designed for balance, leverage and control. It is $67.99 CAD.
How do you keep retreatment instruments organized and sterile?
Endo trays carry many small instruments. The EBIKO Dental Endo File Disinfection and Sterilization Stand holds root canal files, reamers and other small endodontic instruments upright through cleaning, disinfection and steam sterilization. Keeping them off the tray surface lets debris rinse away, and the stand itself is autoclavable at 134°C. It is $9.99 CAD.
Always follow each instrument's reprocessing instructions and your practice's infection prevention and control (IPAC) protocol.
What do you need when it is time to refill the canal?
After the old filling is out and the canal has been re-shaped and disinfected, the case returns to obturation. The EBIKO Dental Gutta-Percha Point Gauge and Cutter measures and trims gutta-percha and paper points to ISO sizes, with the block gauge marked from size 20 through 140. It comes as a Black cutter block ($29.99 CAD) or a Standard measuring ruler ($26.99 CAD) and is marked for steam autoclaving at 135°C.
A starter retreatment kit
For a general practice adding retreatment, a sensible first order from this guide could look like this:
- 1 pack NIC O File D1 to D3 assortment ($56.99 CAD)
- H-files in stainless steel ($7.99 CAD) and NiTi ($12.99 CAD) in your common lengths
- K-files #10 and #15 for patency ($7.99 CAD per pack)
- C+ files for calcified canals ($12.99 CAD per pack)
- 2 GP Remover Spears in different tip sizes ($39.99 CAD each)
- 1 Steiglitz post and silver point forceps ($67.99 CAD)
- 1 endo file stand ($9.99 CAD) and 1 gutta-percha gauge ($26.99 to $29.99 CAD)
EBIKO Dental ships free on orders over $99 CAD in the GTA, $199 CAD in Ontario and $299 CAD across Canada, and offers a price match guarantee. Shop endodontic supplies at EBIKO Dental.
What does your retreatment tray look like, and which instrument do you reach for first when the old gutta-percha will not budge? Share your setup with us.
Sources
- Srinivasan S, Poorni S, Duraivel D, Abraham SB, Chong BS, Peters OA, Abbott PV, Dummer PMH, Nagendrababu V. "Protocol for the Development of A Root Canal Retreatment Difficulty Classification: A Framework for Enhanced Clinical Decision-Making." International Endodontic Journal, editorial, published online 20 October 2026. doi:10.1111/iej.70294
- Product details and prices: the EBIKO Dental product pages linked above, as of October 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What instruments do I need for root canal retreatment?
Instruments commonly used include rotary retreatment files such as the O File D1 to D3, Hedstrom files, small K-files to regain patency, and a retrieval instrument such as a gutta-percha spear. For posts or silver points, a removal forceps is one option.
Q: Can H-files be rotated during gutta-percha removal?
No. The EBIKO H-file product pages state that H-files are for filing (pull-back) motion only and should never be rotated clockwise, because of the risk of fracture. Use them after K-files have established patency.
Q: What sizes does the GP Remover Spear come in?
The EBIKO GP Remover Spear comes in three tip diameters (0.3, 0.5 and 0.7 mm) and two working lengths (21 mm and 28 mm), for six variants, at $39.99 CAD each.