Retention of dental fragments
Standard repulsion of apically infected teeth tends to drive the punch into the diseased (less mineralised) apex and adjacent reserve crown and can cause peripheral fragments of the reserve crown to fracture off and remain attached to the alveolar wall (Fig 1 ). These fragments need to be identified (including by routine post-extraction clinical and radiographic examinations following repulsion) and removed, else they will likely result in a non-healing alveolus. Dental fragments, except for long mandibular roots in older horses (Fig 3 ) are less commonly retained following other exodontia techniques