Root Canal Re-treatment
A tooth that has received root canal treatment may fail to heal or continue to cause pain. The pain may come months or years after a treatment.
Commonly improper healing of a tooth after root canal treatment is due to the following:
- During the initial procedure the narrow or curved canals were not treated;
- During the first procedure the complicated canal anatomy went undetected;
- Following the endodontic treatment, the placement of the crown or other restoration was delayed; and
- Following the tooth restoration salivary contamination to the inside of the tooth was not prevented.
In other cases, when a tooth was successfully treated, new problems may arise making re-treatment necessary:
- A new tooth decay exposed the root canal filling material to bacteria, causing a new infection in the tooth.
- A loose, cracked or broken crown or filling exposed the tooth to new infection; and
- A tooth sustained fracture.
When retreatment becomes necessary, patients must revisit their dentists to have a new restoration or crown placed on the damaged tooth in order to restore tooth’s full functionality.