Endodontic Retreatment
What is Endodontic Retreatment?
Teeth that have received endodontic treatment have the potential to last as long as any other natural teeth. There is a chance that a tooth that has been previously treated may not heal properly and cause pain later on down the road. This pain may show up months or years after the initial treatment. In this case, Endodontic Retreatment may be needed.
Improper healing may be caused by:
- Complicated canals went undetected during the initial treatment.
- The crown or restoration was not completed soon enough after the initial procedure.
- The restoration did not prevent saliva from contaminating the inside of the tooth.
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 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 previous root canal. The restorative material from the previous root canal will be removed to enable access to the root canal. The endodontist will now clean your canals and carefully examine the inside of the problematic tooth. Once cleaned, the endodontist will fill and seal the canals and place a filling in the tooth.