Usually when people get a root canal nowadays, they’re impressed by how easy it is. The treatment is relatively quick, painless, and can be a great help when you’re dealing with a serious toothache. However, even if they leave their procedure with a more positive impression, most people aren’t necessarily eager to get another one. That’s why many patients can get a little bit anxious about the prospect of a looming root canal retreatment.
If you’re wondering, here’s why you could need one, what the procedure entails, and how to avoid one in the first place.
What is a Root Canal Retreatment?
In some cases, infection may return after an initial root canal. This necessitates another procedure in order to treat the disease, a procedure known as endodontic or root canal retreatment.
Your endodontist will need to reopen the tooth and remove the materials used in the previous root canal treatment, giving them access to the area of infection. Then, as in the case of the previous root canal, they will eliminate the infected tissue and reseal the tooth.
Who Needs a Root Canal Retreatment?
There are several reasons why you could develop an additional infection after your root canal:
- Missed Complex Anatomy: Initial treatment didn’t address the tooth’s complex structure fully.
- Improper Restoration: Delay or inadequacy in post-root canal restoration like crowning.
- Salivary Contamination: Breakdown of seal leading to bacterial re-entry.
- New Decay: New tooth decay compromising the previously treated area.
- Cracked Filling/Crown: Cracks or looseness in crown/filling allowing bacteria in.
- Tooth Fracture: Fracture exposing root canal filling to bacteria.
- Persistent/New Infection: Incomplete eradication of initial infection or new infection development.
- Failed Healing: Tooth not healing as expected post-treatment, possibly due to ongoing infection.
What Can Be Done to Avoid Root Canal Retreatment?
If you want one root canal to be enough, the most important thing you can do on your end is to take care of the tooth that’s been treated. Even though a crown is protecting your tooth now, decay can still be a concern—crowned teeth have just as high a chance of failure as any other tooth.
You should make sure that you’re keeping up with daily dental hygiene, and that you’re seeing your dentist for regular preventive appointments. Do this and you can substantially improve your chances of avoiding a retreatment.
About Our Practice
As JC Endodontics, we know that patients who wind up in an endodontist’s office usually aren’t thrilled about being there, which is why we go above and beyond to make sure that the care we provide is comfortable and efficient. We started this practice to bring together excellent endodontic specialists, allowing us to collaborate in getting patients like you out of pain as quickly as possible.
If you have any questions about root canal retreatment, we can be reached at our website or by phone at (212) 737-6112.