Root Canal Re-Treatment
What causes an endodontically treated tooth to need re-treatment?
As occasionally happens with any dental or medical procedure, a tooth may not heal as expected after initial treatment for a variety of reasons: New trauma, deep decay, or a loose, cracked or broken filling can cause new infection in your tooth. In some cases, the endodontist may discover additional very narrow or curved canals that could not be treated during the initial procedure.
The process is very similar to root canal treatment, the difference is that besides taking any remaining infected tissue out, the doctor has to take old filling material, any posts or any other obstacle in the pulp space out to be able to successfully disinfect and seal the area of the root canal.
After cleaning the canals, the endodontist will fill and seal the canals and place a temporary filling in the tooth. If the canals are unusually narrow or blocked, your endodontist may recommend endodontic surgery. This surgery involves making an incision to allow the other end of the root to be sealed.
After the root canal treatment is done your restorative dentist will place a crown to protect the tooth against fractures.