Root Canal Retreatment       

With proper care, most teeth that have had root canal treatment can last a lifetime but it is possible, for those teeth to heal improperly, becoming painful or diseased months or even years after treatment.  If this happens to your treated teeth, then an additional endodontic procedure-Retreatment, may be needed in order save the tooth.  Improper healing may be caused by various reasons including:

• Narrow canals or curved canals that were not treated during the initial treatment.
• Complicated canals that went undetected during the initial treatment.
• The placement of the crown or other restoration was delayed following the endodontic treatment
• The restoration did not prevent salivary contamination to the inside of the tooth

In other cases, a new problem can also jeopardize a tooth that was successfully treated, such as:

• New decay can expose a root canal filling material to bacteria, causing a new infection
• A loose, cracked or broken crown or filling can expose the tooth to new infection.

If Retreatment procedure is needed in order to save your tooth, the endodontist will reopen your tooth to gain access to the root canal filling materials that were placed in the root canal during the first procedure.  The endodontist then carefully examines the tooth, looking for additional canals or new infection.  The endodontist then removes any infection, cleans, and shapes the canals, and places new filling materials.  The opening is then sealed with a temporary filling.  Once the tooth heals, a new crown or other restoration is placed on the tooth to protect it.