Root Canals

Reasons that a tooth does not properly heal

In some cases, root canal therapy doesn’t completely heal an infected tooth, and root canal retreatment becomes necessary.

There are several reasons why the infected tooth may not have healed completely.

• The tooth may have canals that are difficult to clean because they are narrow, curved, or branched.
• The tooth may have extra root canals that were not discovered the first time.
• Tooth decay or a fracture can expose the filling material in the roots to bacteria, causing new infection.

Sometimes there is no apparent reason.

The procedure

We start the retreatment procedure by numbing the area to make you comfortable. We may also use a rubber dam to protect your mouth and ensure that nothing falls to the back of your throat while we work.

We make an opening through the top of the tooth and down into the pulp chamber. Then we remove the filling material that was previously placed in the root canals.

We carefully search for additional canals, remove any infection, and place new filling material in the canals. Last, depending on the circumstances, we seal the tooth with a small filling or replace the crown with a new one.

The benefits of root canal retreatment

Root canal retreatment removes infection, relieves discomfort, and saves your tooth. With modern dental techniques, it is a generally comfortable and effective procedure.