With appropriate care, endodontically treated teeth will last as long as natural teeth. However, it has happened that a tooth that has received endodontic treatment may fail to heal completely, or that pain may be caused by another problem. Sometimes, the pain can occur months or years after treatment. If so, endodontic retreatment may be needed.
When performing endodontic retreatment, the root canal filling material is taken out of the tooth, and the canal is cleaned out, reshaped and refilled.
In some cases, new problems can influence a tooth that was successfully treated:
- New decay can expose root canal filling, causing infection.
- A cracked/loose filling or crown can expose the tooth to new infection.
Once it has been decided that retreatment is the best solution to your problem, the dentist will reopen your tooth to gain access to the root canal. The filling material will be removed and the canal will be completely cleaned out, so that your dentist can carefully examine the inside of the root canal of the problematic tooth. Once cleaned and repaired, the dentist will fill and seal the canal and place a filling, or build up restoration in the tooth. You will need to return to your dentist in order to have a new crown or restoration placed on the tooth to restore full functionality.
