Why Do You Need Root Canal Retreatment?

Despite the fear surrounding them, root canal procedures tend to be highly successful. In fact, their long-term success rate stands at about 95 percent! However, it’s still the case that dentists sometimes need to redo them. If that happens to you, you’ll probably want to know why retreatment is necessary. Luckily, your Mount Pleasant dentist is here to tell you. Read on to learn why your root canal might need retreatment and what you should expect from the process.

Why You Might Need Retreatment

Though rare, root canal retreatments are occasionally needed to preserve your oral health. In particular, you ought to get one if:

Your Tooth Didn’t Heal as Expected

There’s a slight chance your tooth won’t heal correctly following a root canal. For example, if it has complicated canal anatomy, there might be untreated bacteria hiding in some of its structures. On the other hand, a tooth can get re-infected if there’s a long delay between a root canal and crown placement. In some cases, the restoration may not completely seal the tooth and allow for salivary contamination.

A New Problem is Threatening Your Tooth

Even if your tooth properly recovers from a successful root canal, it might face a new problem. Should that happen, treating the new issue might require redoing the original procedure.

Consider tooth decay, for instance. If new decay forms near the treated area, it can expose the root canal’s inner filling to bacteria and cause a new infection.

You may need retreatment if your tooth suffers a new injury. If an accident causes your tooth or dental crown to crack, bacteria could re-infect the region.

What You Should Expect During the Process

A root canal retreatment would be very similar to your first procedure. It’d start with your dentist numbing your mouth, followed by their removing your dental crown (if necessary) and reopening the tooth. From there, they’d remove the canal filling and any previously-untreated or newly-infected tissue.

The later steps of treatment would amount to a clean-up of sorts. After removing the infected tissues, your dentist will search for any other canals or unusual anatomy that need treatment. They’ll then disinfect, refill, and seal your tooth with a temporary filling or crown. You’ll return to your dentist’s office at a follow-up visit to have the final restoration placed.

While root canals are almost always successful, some patients will need retreatment. As you can see, though, you’ll have nothing to fear even if you’re one of them.

About the Practice

Creative Dental Concepts is based in Syracuse, NY. As headed by Drs. Craybas and Crumb, the practice offers its patients decades of dental excellence and dedication. That said, it specializes in preventive, cosmetic, and restorative dentistry, including emergency procedures. The dental team further ensure these services’ quality thanks to using the latest dental technology. For more information or to book an appointment, you can reach them on their website or by phone at (315)-475-6641.