When a root canal treatment fails for some reason, you likely have a second shot at saving your natural tooth. Endodontic retreatment is your second chance to save your tooth, which should always be your primary option.
Remember - just because you need to get another root canal on the same tooth, it doesn’t mean that you’ll have to get subsequent retreatments. It just means that we have to do it again this time. If your tooth happens to get reinfected again, we’ll work with you on the next steps. However, root canal treatment is generally successful.
There are several reasons a root canal treatment can become reinfected or fail. There are steps you can take to prevent this from happening, including getting your permanent crown placed as soon as possible, maintaining good oral hygiene, and closely following your post-treatment care instructions.
However, even when you do everything in your power to prevent a second infection or contamination, sometimes these things happen, particularly if you have complex root canals. Some common reasons that make endodontic retreatment necessary are:
- Fractured tooth
- Salivary contamination
- The placement of the crown was delayed
- Narrow or curved canals were not treated initially
- A dysfunctional crown that exposed the tooth to a new infection
- New decay is exposed to the root canal, leading to a secondary infection.
- The anatomy of your root canal is complicated and went undetected initially.
While there can be several reasons that you could need retreatment, needing one doesn’t mean that your treatment will fail a second time.
You can expect a similar experience as your initial endodontic treatment. This time, however, your endodontist will have to remove your crown and other restoration materials that were used the first time around. Once we’ve removed the filling, we can start disinfecting the root canals and removing any decayed or infected tissue just like we did last time.
If you're experiencing pain or discomfort in a tooth that has already undergone root canal treatment, contact us today to schedule a consultation. We’ll assess your situation and determine if endodontic retreatment is the right solution for you.
