Are dentine pins obsolete?

Dentine pins have been used in operative dentistry for many years to retain a non-adhesive restorative material (such as dental amalgam) in a cavity which has little or no inherent mechanical retention. However, dentine pin placement can be a hazardous procedure and there are a number of problems associated with their use. Alternative techniques have been described which may be utilized and are effective at retaining the restorative material without the shortcomings of dentine pins. There is a strong argument therefore that dentine pins have no place in contemporary dental practice and have consequently become obsolete.