What does it mean when I need ” Root Canal Retreatment“?

With proper care, teeth that have had Endodontic Treatment will last as long as your natural teeth; however, sometimes Endodontic Retreatment, such as Root Canal Retreatment, is needed. If you have a tooth that has received treatment but has failed to heal or continues to cause you pain, you may need a Root Canal or Endodontic Retreatment.

Why do I need Retreatment?

When it comes to root canal retreatment, there are a few reasons why your tooth may have failed to heal properly. The most common causes are:

• Curved or narrow tooth canals that were not taken care of during your initial treatment
• Complicated tooth canals that went undetected during your initial treatment
• Crowns or restorations that were not put into place within the appropriate amount of time after your procedure
• Crowns or restorations that did not prevent saliva from contaminating the inside of your tooth

Within a Week of your Root Canal

During your root canal treatment, we placed a temporary seal on the outer surface of your tooth. However, to protect your tooth from fracture and decay in the future, it will need to be fitted with a permanent restoration. To do this, you will need to set up an appointment with your dentist. We will send them a complete report of your root canal treatment.

If your tooth is not properly restored in a timely manner following your root canal, it may develop cracks and need to be permanently removed.

After your dentist has properly restored your tooth, you may need to attend follow-up examinations with us so we can check in on your healing progress. These follow-ups will take only a few minutes and will come at no extra cost to you.

Preventing Potential issues after Your Root Canal

Fractures

Immediately after your Root Canal Treatment, your tooth may be more likely to develop a fracture. To avoid this, chew on the other side of your mouth until your dentist can properly protect your tooth. Your dentist and endodontist will determine a plan to best protect your tooth.

Lower Teeth & Nerve Injury

Lower teeth and nerve injury can occur when the root tips of your lower posterior teeth are near a nerve that supplies feeling to your lips, chin, and gums. This nerve can become irritated during surgery in rare cases. However, we will design your surgery to minimize the chances of nerve injury, and we will advise you if we believe it may occur.

If your nerve does become irritated, when the local anesthesia wears off you may experience tingling, altered sensation, or, in rare cases, a complete lack of feeling in the affected tissues. These side effects are usually temporary and will resolve over a period of days, weeks, or months.

Upper Teeth & Sinus Communication

Your upper teeth are situated near your sinuses, and root canal treatment can sometimes result in a “communication” between your mouth and the nearby sinus. We will give you special instructions at the time of your surgery if we think you are at risk for this. If communication does occur, it will usually heal on its own.

We ask that you avoid blowing your nose for two to three days after your surgery. If you need to sneeze, you should sneeze with an open mouth into a tissue. Do not put any pressure on the sinus area.

If you think you may be experiencing complications after surgery, please contact us at (860) 583-8379.

Post-Operative Infections

Sometimes, patients may develop an infection after their treatment that requires an office visit and examination. Usually, we can take care of these infections by placing you on an antibiotic for one week. However, in some cases, other follow-up procedures may be needed.

Additionally, problems that occur after treatment is complete can sometimes cause your tooth to become infected. The most common causes of infection are the introduction of new decay to your tooth and the loosening or cracking of crowns or fillings. Decay can cause your root canal filling material to be exposed, while imperfect crowns and fillings will expose your tooth itself to infection.

Once we determine that an Endodontic or Root Canal Retreatment offers the best solution to your problem, one of our doctors will reopen your tooth to gain access to your root canal filling material. We will then remove this material and carefully clean and examine the inside of your tooth. After cleaning, we will fill and seal your canal and place a temporary filling in your tooth.

It is important at this point that you return to your dentist as soon as possible so they may place a new crown or restoration upon your tooth. This will restore your tooth to its full functionality.