Endodontic Retreatment

Why Would I Need Retreatment?

With appropriate care, teeth that have undergone endodontic treatment will last as long as other natural teeth. However, 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.
  • The crown or restoration did not prevent saliva from contaminating the inside of the tooth.

The main cause of improper healing after a root canal is failure to promptly restore the tooth. For this reason, we encourage you to have the tooth restored at the same time as the root canal treatment.

New problems can influence a tooth that was successfully treated:

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

Once it has been determined that retreatment is necessary, Dr. Funderburk will reopen your tooth, allowing him access to the root canal filling material. This restorative material will be removed to expose the root canal. The canals will be cleaned and carefully examined inside the problematic tooth. Once cleaned, the tooth will be re-filled and the canals sealed. Then, depending on the condition of the tooth, you will receive a temporary filling or, if possible, the tooth will be permanently restored.

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Call us: 843-448-5757