Solving Root Canal Problems at London Smile Care
When Old Root Canals Go Bad
At London Smile Care, we offer root canal retreatment. For a variety of reasons, endodontic treatment may occasionally be unsuccessful, at which point additional treatment becomes necessary. One purpose of an endodontist evaluation is to identify specific causes of a dental problem and determine whether or not they will be able to correct it. When evaluating teeth that have already had endodontic treatment, a 3D image (CBCT scan) is extremely useful.
What Can Make Endodontic Treatment Fail?
One of the main reasons root canal treatment can fail is when all of the tooth’s canals were not identified and treated, or else we’re not completely cleaned. These are problems that can often be corrected with retreatment.
Another way treatment can become compromised is through leakage of salivary bacteria, which can contaminate the treatment area and lead to infection of the roots and eventually the surrounding bone and gums. This leakage can either be the result of an ill-fitting crown or filling or else through new tooth decay.
With poorly-sealed root canals, contamination will occur rapidly, unlike a well-sealed canal, which effectively slows or prevents contamination and infection. This problem can also be corrected with retreatment in most cases.
A crack in a tooth can cause serious problems, and the roots of a tooth may be more fragile and prone to cracking after treatment. A root tip can become separated from the rest of the tooth and start to rot. This is a serious complication that may necessitate extracting the tooth even after all that work to save it.
Recognize the Symptoms of Treatment Failure
While the symptoms on this list are common in endodontic treatment failure, be careful not to jump to conclusions because they can also be symptoms of other problems. You won’t need to worry about the tooth that received treatment unless you’re exhibiting most or all of these symptoms:
- Tenderness or pain in the tooth when applying pressure, even after recovering from treatment.
- Swelling after recovery or pimple-like structures developing and leaking pus in the area.
- Temperature sensitivity, such as a quick, sharp pain after taking a sip of hot coffee or cold soda.
- Discoloration from inside the tooth (which might only require internal bleaching to fix but could indicate something more serious).
- Persistent pain in the treated tooth, particularly after the recovery period, and doubly so if it’s getting worse over time.
Retreatment Goals At London Smile Care
Retreatment aims to achieve the same results as initial endodontic treatment. Dr. Daoudi will mechanically remove debris, tissue, and infection from within the canal spaces, then chemically disinfect those spaces, and finally seal them off with a root canal filling so that recontamination will not occur. Before Dr. Daoudi can do this, he must disassemble the existing restoration and previous treatment, which can involve removing or making an access opening through the existing crown, or removing existing posts or cores.
After disassembly is complete, the doctor removes the previous filling material so that he can clean and disinfect all canal spaces. Sometimes he will fill the canals with a temporary medication before completing treatment in a separate visit. To complete the retreatment, Dr. Daoudi seals the canals with a root filling.
For a permanent restoration, you will need to go back to your restorative dentist after a few weeks of healing. A damaged or leaking restoration will need to be replaced because a well-fitting final restoration is crucial for the treatment to succeed.
In the Event of Endodontic Treatment Failure
The first thing to do if you’re worried your treatment might be failing is to contact the endodontist or dentist who performed the original root canal. A failed treatment could be grounds for switching to a different practice but it can happen through no fault of the doctor in some cases.
Next, it’s time to schedule retreatment, which doesn’t always require surgery. Don’t let symptoms like the ones described above go unaddressed! Acting quickly could be the difference between saving the tooth and extracting it! You can learn more about our practice on our business page, and make sure to get directions before you head our way.