Endodontic Retreatment
Root Canal Retreatment
With adequate care a tooth with prior root canal treatment can last as long as other natural teeth. However, a tooth that has received prior treatment may not heal and the pain may persist. Sometimes the pain could remain for months or years after treatment. In that case re-treatment could be necessary.
Improper healing can be caused by:
- Curved or narrow canals that are not treated during the first treatment.
- Complicated channels that were not detected during the first treatment.
- The crown or restoration was not placed within the proper time after endodontic treatment was completed.
- The crown or restoration did not prevent the saliva from contaminating the inside of the tooth.
- A fracture in the structure of the tooth.
In some cases, new problems can occur in a tooth that was successfully treated:
- New decay can expose the root canal filling material, causing infection.
- A broken or loose crown or filling can expose the tooth to a new infection.
Once retreatment has been selected as a solution to your problem, the endodontist will reopen your tooth to gain access to the root canal filling material. This restorative material will be removed to allow access to the root canal. The doctor then cleans the infected canals and carefully examines the inside of the tooth. Once clean, the doctor will fill and seal the canals and place a temporary or permanent restoration in the tooth.
At this point, you will need to return to your dentist as soon as possible in order to have a new crown or restoration on the tooth to restore full function of the tooth.