Australian Dental Council (ADC) Practice Test

The barbed broach is the recommended choice for extirpating vital pulp from a wide canal due to its design, which features barbs along its length. These barbs allow the broach to engage more effectively with the soft tissue of the pulp during the removal process. The design facilitates the grabbing and pulling of the vital pulp out of the canal, even in cases where the canal is wider and more spacious.

When performing extirpation, particularly in vital cases, the ability to securely grasp the pulp is crucial for effective removal without significant damage to the canal walls. The barbed broach's unique structure provides an advantage in this regard by optimizing both retention and efficiency during the procedure.

In contrast, other options such as small K-Type files and smooth broaches are less effective in this context because they lack the aggressive gripping capability necessary for grasping soft tissue. K-Type files are usually used for shaping and cleaning the canal rather than for pulp removal, while smooth broaches do not have the protrusions needed to engage and remove the vital pulp effectively. Reamers, though used for canal preparation, are not ideal for extracting pulp, particularly when dealing with vital tissues, as they are designed primarily for wider preparation rather than soft tissue removal