Endodontic Retreatment

With the appropriate care, teeth that have received endodontic treatment will last as long as other natural teeth. Occasionally, a tooth that has received treatment may fail to heal or pain may continue to exist. Sometimes, the pain may occur months or years after treatment. If so, endodontic retreatment may be needed.  Improper healing may be caused by:

• Curved or narrow canals were not treated during the initial treatment.
• Complicated canals went undetected during the initial treatment.
• The crown or restoration was not placed within the appropriate amount of time following the procedure.

In some cases, new problems can influence a tooth that was successfully treated:

• New decay under a crown or filling can contaminate a prior root canal 
• A cracked or loose filling or crown can expose the tooth to new infection.

Endodontic retreatment is performed by gaining access to the root canal filling material. The old root canal filling material is removed and the root canal spaces are cleaned and disinfected.   Once cleaned, the canal spaces are sealed with new root canal filling material and the tooth is restored with a temporary filling.  

What happens after treatment?

When retreatment has been completed, a treatment report will be sent to your restorative dentist. Please contact their office to schedule an appointment to restore the tooth as soon as possible.  Your restorative dentist will decide what type of restoration is necessary to protect your tooth. It is rare for endodontic patients to experience acute complications after routine endodontic treatment. If a problem does occur, however, we are available at all times to assist you.