Endodontic Retreatment
With the appropriate care, your teeth that have had endodontic treatment will last as long as other natural teeth. Yet, a tooth that has received treatment may fail to heal or pain may continue to exist. Sometimes, the pain may occur months or years after treatment. If so, Endodontic Retreatment may be needed.
Improper healing may be caused by:
- Complicated canals that were undetected and not treated well during the initial treatment.
- The crown or restoration was not placed within the appropriate amount of time following the procedure.
- The crown or restoration did not prevent saliva from contaminating the inside of the tooth.
- Complex root canal anatomy prevented successful initial therapy.
In some cases, new problems can influence a tooth that was successfully treated:
- New decay can expose a root canal filling material, causing infection.
- A cracked or loose filling or crown can expose the tooth to 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 material will be removed, and the canals will be cleaned and disinfected. Your endodontist will carefully examine the inside of the problematic tooth and a temporary filling will be placed. When the symptoms subside, the retreatment will be completed.
Once retreatment has been completed you will need to return to your dentist as soon as possible in order to have a new crown or other permanent restoration placed on the tooth to restore full functionality.